DUKE 

UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


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in  2017  with  funding  from 
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https://archive.org/details/francoprussianwa01land_0 


T> 


THE 


FRANCO -PRUSSIAN  WAR 

IN 

A  NUTSHELL. 


A  DAILY  DIARY  OF  DIPLOMACY,  BATTLES,  AND  WAR 
LITERATURE. 


5©lrtlj  (Bigbfcm  portraits,  anir  Juartmt  Iftaps 

FROM  OFFICIAL  FRENCH  AND  PRUSSIAN  FIELD  SURVEYS. 


BY  yjf*** 

MELVILLE  IX  LANDON. 


NEW  YORK: 

G.  W.  CARLETON  &  CO.,  PUBLISHERS,  MADISON  SQUARE. 

LONDON:  S.  LOW,  SON  Si  CO. 

M.DCCC.LXXI. 


Entered  according  to  Act  df  Congress,  in  the  year  1871,  by 
G.  W.  CAKLETON  &  CO., 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


J4-4-.08 

Ub'fF 


TO 

Mr.  WILLIAM  HENRY  DAVIS, 

OF  CINCINNATI, 

THE  TRAVELLED  GENTLEMAN,  THE  COSMOPOLITE  SCHOLAR, 

THE  ACCOMPLISHED  VOTARY  OF  ART,  AND  THE  UNHESITATING  FRIEND 
OF  THE  GOOD  THAT  IS  IN  A  MAN, 

$3ooIt 

IS  DEDICATED, 

BY  HIS  AFFECTIONATE  BUT  UNWORTHY  FRIEND  AND  BROTHER. 

TO  HIM 

THE  AUTHOR  CAN  OFFER  NO  TRUER  TRIBUTE  THAN  THAT  SWEET  SENTI¬ 
MENT  OF  HIS  FRIEND,  MANSFIELD  TRACY  WALWORTH,  TO 
MORRIS  PHILIPPS,  OF  THE  “HOME  JOURNAL  :  ” 

“  His  words  are  bonds,  his  oaths  are  oracles ; 

His  love  sincere,  his  thoughts  immaculate  ; 

His  tears  pure  messengers  sent  from  his  heart ; 

His  heart  as  far  from  fraud  as  heaven  from  earth.” 


PREFACE'. 


“Mr.  Melville  D.  Landon  : 

“  Mv  dear  Sir,  —  Can  you  write  a  concise  nutshell  history  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  war,  and  have  it  ready  by  the  time  peace  shall  be  declared  ? 

“  I  would  have  is  as  short  as  you  can  write  it,  and  have  it  complete.  I 
would  have  it  in  plain  Saxon  language,  and  calculated  to  be  of  value  to  the 
business-man  as  well  as  to  the  man  of  letters.  I  would  not  elaborate  on 
facts,  but  let  the  intelligent  reader  himself  do  the  thinking  and  make  the 
elaborations. 

“A  little  spice,  if  it  reflects  the  opinions  of  a  people,  or  a  faction;  or 
the  comic  turn,  if  it  reflects  the  ludicrous  side  of  an  existing  error,  — will 
help  to  bring  out  the  truth.  Histories  are  generally  dry  because  of  the 
tedious  opinions  of  the  historian.  The  intelligent  reader  (and  for  him  we 
will  make  the  book)  can  put  the  facts  together  himself,  and  draw  his  own 
conclusions. 

“The  people  want  ungilded  facts,  as  they  actually  exist,  unobscured  by 
time,  prejudice,  or  theory. 

“  Very  respectfully,  * 

“  George  W.  Carleton. 

“Madison  Square,  August  i st,  1870.” 


REPLY. 

“  George  W.  Carleton,  Esq.  : 

“  My  dear  Sir,  —  I  think  I  can.  I  will  cable  this  evening  to  Berlin  and 
Paris,  for  official  and  unofficial  documents  bearing  on  the  diplomacy,  litera¬ 
ture,  or  battles  of  the  war  ;  also  to  a  friend  and  classmate  in  the  diplomatic 
service,  who  will  forward  to  me  all  the  official  information  and  maps  which 
can  be  had  in  Berlin  or  Paris. 

“  I  shall  not  let  a  single  official  fact  escape  a  record.  I  will  place  a  daily 
synopsis  of  the  main  facts  in  coarse  print  —  easily  caught  by  the  eye;  while 
dry  history,  like  the  draught  of  diplomatic  treaties,  or  official  reports,  I  will 
give,  at  length,  in  finer  print.  I  will  seize  upon  rough  facts  as  I  find  them  — 
in  diplomacy,  in  battles,  or  in  literature  ;  reproduce  them  in  plain  Saxon, 
and  ‘  let  the  intelligent  reader  do  all  his  own  thinking.  ’ 

“  I  am,  most  respectfully, 

“Your  obedient  servant, 

“  Melville  D.  Landon. 

“Eaton,  Madison  Co.,  New  York, 

August  3d,  1870.” 


4C;9?C;8 


\ v i 


■ 


. 

.  .  •  •  l  1 


. 

■ 

1  i  ' 

' 

- 


•  ' 


CONTENTS  AND  INDEX 


THE  SPANISH  THRONE. 

PAGE 

Abdication  of  Q,ueen  Isabella .  —  .  .  n 

Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern  a  Candidate  —  with  Biography . n,  12 

Spain  notifies  Europe  of  Leopold’s  Candidature .  13 

Napoleon  creates  a  War  Feeling .  13 

Gramont  announces  Leopold’s  Candidature.  . .  13 

and  Spain  says  it  is  not  planned  in  Hostility  to  France .  14 

France  demands  that  King  William  as  king  shall  prevent  Leopold’s 

Acceptance —  . i4>  15 

French  Troops  concentrating . 15,  18 

France  fights  for  Territorial  Aggrandizement . 15,  16,  66 

King  William  advises  Leopold  not  to  accept  the  Spanish  Throne,  but  says  he 

“will  not  Interfere  as  king  ” .  17 

Benedetti’s  Dispatches  in  a  Thunder-storm .  18 

Comic  Diplomacy  at  Ems . 18,  26 

Leopold  rejects  the  Spanish  Throne,  to  make  Peace .  20 

Opinions  of  the  Press .  20 

Leopold’s  Name  withdrawn  by  his  Father .  21 

France  still  for  War  —  and  Arming .  21 

Count  Benedetti  accosts  King  William  at  Ems  ;  the  King  avows  Non-in¬ 
terference,  and  refuses  to  see  the  French  Ambassador  again. .  .23,  25,  26,  27,  28 

The  French  Court  bent  on  War .  24 

Exciting  Scenes  in  Paris . . . 29,  30,  31 

King  William’s  triumphal  Progress  to  Berlin .  28 

On  to  Berlin! . 31,  32 

Rochefort  opposes  War  from  Prison .  32 

France  pronounced  ready  for  War  by  Lebaeuf. . . .  33 

The  Left  charges  the  Imperial  Party  with  Deception,  to  bring  about  War. .  .35,  36,  37,  38 
The  Imperial  Party  takes  the  Responsibility  of  War . . .  38 

DECLARATION  OF  WAR. 

Ollivier  asks  the  Support  of  the  Corps  L6gislatif .  34 

WAR  DECLARED  by  France .  .  .  35 

Wild  Excitement  in  Paris,  38,  39.  War  Feeling  in  Berlin . n — 3*7“ 

Amazement  and  Joy  in  Berlin .  41 

President  Grant  and  the  War . . 43,  48 

Caesarism  makes  the  War .  42 

France  summons  the  South  German  States  to  define  their  Positions  —  They  Decide  to 

support  Prussia .  44 

Germany  United . . w.-So,  61,  62 

Bavaria  (47,  49,  50,  58),  Saxony  (54),  Hesse-Darmstadt  (59)  and  all  South  Germany 
(61,  62)  support  Prussia. 

French  Troops  march  to  the  Front . 44,  49 

King  William  speaks  in  Berlin .  52 

Bazaine  and  Canrobert  to  the  Front .  50 

THE  FRENCH  INVADE  GERMANY .  53 

King  William  addresses  the  North  German  Parliament .  55 

Order  of  the  Iron  Cross  Instituted .  56 

The  Corps  Legislatif  endorses  War  and  the  Emperor . 49,  63 

German  Troops  moving  to  the  Front .  65 

Prussian  Troops  enter  French  Territory .  67 

FIRST  BLOOD  SPILLED .  68 

Napoleon’s  Proclamation  to  France .  67 

Public  Sentiment  in  America . 68,  69 

THE  SECRET  TREATY  —  Denials  and  Allegations . 69,  70,  71,  72,  73 

French  Troops  leave  Rome .  74 

The  Emperor  at  Metz  —  His  Address  to  the  Army .  7# 

First  Skirmish . ; . 76,  77,  78 

King  William  addresses  the  People,  and  leaves  for  the  War . . .  79 

(vii) 


Vlll 


CONTENTS  AND  INDEX, . 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  OF  FRANCE. 


French  Army . . 

Navy . 

Commanding  Generals. . 

Corps  Commanders,  their  local  Headquarters,  and  Number  of  Troops. , 

Biography  of  NAPOLEON  III . 

Marshal  MacMahon,  First  Corps . 

General  Frossard,  Second  Corps . . 

Marshal  Bazaine,  Third  Corps . . 

General  L’Admirault,  Fourth  Corps . . 

General  De  Failly,  Fifth  Corps . 

Marshal  Canrobert,  Sixth  Corps . 

General  Douay,  Seventh  Corps . . 

General  Bourbaki,  Imperial  Guards. . . . 

General  Changamier,  Imperial  Adviser . 

General  Trochll,  Governor  of  Paris . 

General  Palikao  (Senator) . . 

Marshal  Vaillant  (Senator) . . . . . 

General  D’Hilliers  (Marshal  and  Vice-President  of  the  Senate) 

General  Forey  (Senator) . 

Marshal  Randon . . . 

General  Wimpffen . 


PAGE 

. 81 

.  82 

.  82 

.  83 

84,  85,  86,  87,  88,  89 

.  90 

.  92 

.  9i 

.  83 

.  93 

.  93 

.  94 

•  * . •  95 

. 96,  389 

. 95>  27i 

.  96 

.  97 

.  97 

. .  98 

.  98 

. 98,  248 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  OF  PRUSSIA. 

Commanders  of  Prussian  Army .  100 

Corps  Commanders,  their  local  Headquarters,  and  Number  of  Troops .  101 

Biography  of  KING  WILLIAM  1 .  103 

General  Von  Moltke,  Chief-of-Staff .  104 

General  Von  Roon,  Minister  of  War  . . . .  105 

General  Von  Steinmetz,  Commanding  First  Army .  106 

Prince  Frederick  Charles,  Commanding  Second  Army .  105 

Crown  Prince  Frederick  William  of  Prussia,  Commanding  Third  Army  106 

Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  Commanding  Fourth  Army .  107 

Generals  —  Manteuffel,  FirstCorps;  Fansecki,  Second  Corps  :  Alvensleben  II., 
Third  Corps:  Alvensleben  I., 'Fourth  Corps;  Kirchbach,  Fifth  Corps  ;  '•Tump- 
ling,  Sixth  Corps  ;  Zastrow,  Seventh  Corps  ;  Goeben,  Eighth-Corps  ;  Manstein, 
Ninth  Corps  ;  Voigts  Rhetz,  Tenth  Corps  ;  Bose,  Eleventh  Corps  ;  Werder, 
Thirteenth  Corps ;  Mecklenburg,  Fourteenth  Corps ;  Loewenfeld,  Fifteenth 

Corps  ;  Prince  Augustus,  Guards . . . . . . .  108 

France  and  Prussia  Compared  —  Armies,  Territory,  and  Finances .  99 

North  and  South  German  Confederation,  Area,  Populations,  Rulers, 

&c . . . 102,  103 

WAR. 

Storming  of  Saarbruck  Heights,  August  2 . 109-114 

King  William’s  Address  to  the  Army .  115 

WEISENBURG,  August  6 . 116-121 

Joy  in  Berlin  ;  Sorrow  in  Paris .  121 

Addresses  of  the  Crown  Prince,  Steinmetz,  and  Prince  Charles,  to  their  Advancing 

Armies .  122 

SAARBRUCK  (Spicheren),  August  6. . . 124 

WOERTH,  August  6  (French  and  Prussian  Official  Accounts) .  127-132 

Flight  of  MacMahon’s  Army . 133-135 

Frenzy  in  Paris,  137.  Paris  in  Siege .  139 

Proclamation  of  the  Empress .  138 

MacMahon’s  Army  Starving .  139 

Rejoicings  in  Germany . . . . . . . .  140 

King  William  (140)  and  Steinmetz  (141)  address  the  Victorious  Troops. 

CHANGE  OF  MINISTRY  IN  PARIS... .  144 

Biographies  of  Imperial  Ministers  —  David,  Palikao,  D’Auvergne,  Grandperet, 

Brame,  Busson-Billault,  Chevreau,  Magne,  Duvernois,  and  Genouilly . 144-146 

King  William  at  Saarbruck . 147 

Stormy  Scenes  in  Paris  —  Favre  against  the  Emperor .  148 

The  Empire  dying  —  the  Left  demand  Napoleon’s  Abdicafibn . 148,  149 

Advance  of  the  Crown  Prince . 149,  150 

The  Emperor  proclaims,  and  flies  from  Metz .  4 .  152 

The  Grand  March  of  the  Armies .  152 


CONTENTS  A  NIX  INDEX. 


IX 


COURCELLES,  August  14,  First  Battle  before  Metz . 154-159 

The  Emperor’s  Flight  from  Metz . 159-162 

MARS-LA-TOUR,  August  16,  Second  Battle  before  Metz . 163-173 

STRASBURG,  Siege  of . 174,  198,  287,  294 

(Auerbach’s  Letters) . 198,  201,  206 

Fall  of .  339 

GRAVELOTTE,  August  18 . 177-192 

French  and  Prussian  Fleets . 82,  99,  176 

French  Blunders . 192,  193,  194,  402 

Bismarck  and  his  Wounded  Son .  202 

War  Pictures . . 161,  174,  195-202 

The  Growth  of  the  Republic . 148,  149,  196 

MacMahon  marches  North,  to  relieve  Bazaine .  199 

/The  Crown  Prince’s  Flank  Movement  on  Sedan . . . 204,  208,  209 

Bismarck  says  “  Prussia  must  have  Alsace  and  Lorraine,”.  .210,  211,  212,  276,  296,  307 

ITEATTMOlNT,  August  30 . 214-220 

BAZELLIES  (Battle  and  Burning) . 220-224 

SEDAN,  September  1.  French  and  German  Account  of . 124-243 

Napoleon’s  Surrender . 243-249 

Wilhelmshohe  and  the  Emperor . 250,  256,  257,  275,  288,  289 

— "Berlin  Rejoices,  and  Paris  Mourns . 251 

The  Imperial  Government  addresses  the  People . .  252 

The  Dethronement  of  Napoleon  III. . 252,  253 

The  News  in  America  —  The  Press . 253-256 

EUGENIE’S  FAREWELL .  257 

THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  Republic  Declared . 258-263 

Mob  in  the  Tuileries . 262,  263 

Proclamation  of  Decheance .  265 

THE  FLIGHT  OF  THE  EMPRESS  TO  ENGLAND . 266-269 

The  Republic  Organized . . 265,  266 

Rochefort  and  Victor  Hugo  in  Paris  . . , . 264,  265 

Biographies  of  the  Members  of  the  Provisional  Government  —  Gambetta,  Favre, 

Picard,  Trochu,  Grevy,  Glais-Bizoin,  Garnier-Pages,  and  Rochefort.  ..269,  270,  271 

Joy  in  Berlin,  and  excited  Mobs  in  Paris .  274 

Revolution  in  Paris .  277 

The  Republic  will  not  cede  an  inch  of  Territory . .  279 

Jules  Favre’s  Republican  Circular  to  the  World .  278 

American  and  European  Press  on  the  Republic .  280 

Republic  recognized  by  Spain  and  the  United  States . 282-284 

LAON  surrenders,  September  10.... .  287 

George  Sand  and  Victor  Hugo  salute  the  Republic . 286,  287 

The  Republic  de  facto  but  not  de  jure .  293 

PARIS  in  Siege,  September  14 . 5-. .  281 

Her  Suburbs  burning .  294 

f  Prussians  in  Sight .  295 

Men  and  Forts . 296 

Bismarck  replies  to  Favre’s  Republican  Circular .  296 

The  Crown  Prince  arrives  at  Paris . * . 301,  326 

First  Battle  in  front  of  Paris,  September  19 .  301 

.  Republic  in  London .  307 

1  Versailles  occupied,  September  20 .  309 

j  ROME  occupied  by  Italian  Troops . 311-315 

j  Favre-Bismarck  Peace  Negotiations  Failure,  September  21 . 316-320 

J  Bismarck  and  Favre  discuss  a  Question  of  Veracity . 320-322 

JBismarck  contradicts  Favre . 324 

and  defines  Prussia’s  Position . 325,  376 

ComicProclamations  in  Paris . 327,  328 

Russia  and  Turkey  and  their  Armies,  and  the  broken  Treaty  of  Paris .  33°-333 

TOUL  surrenders,  September  23 .  . 333,  334 

Location  of  German  Troops  around  Paris,  with  Map . . 335,  336,  337 

STRASBOURG  surrenders,  September  27 . 339-343 

Comic  Radicalism  of  the  Paris  “Reds” . 343-345 

Marguerite  Bellanger  and  Imperial  Secrets .  345 

Sortie  from  Paris,  September  30 .  347 

BALLOONS  from  Paris . 349-351 


X 


CONTENTS  AND  INDEX, . 


PAGE 

Gambetta  in  a  Balloon .  363 

King  William,  Von  Moltke,  and  Bismarck  at  Versailles . 355-355 

EPLNAY,  Fight  of,  October  6 .  354 

Bazaine’s  great  Sortie  from  Metz,  August  31,  with  Map . 357-363 

Yon  Roon  on  the  Siege  of  Paris .  364 

ARTENAY,  Battle  of,  October  10 .  366 

ORLEANS,  Battle  of,  October  11 . . . 367-372 

St.  Cloud  destroyed  by  the  French . ‘ . • .  373 

SOISSONS  surrenders,  October  16 . *. .  375 

Garibaldi . . . 378,  406 

Defeated  at  Pasques .  426 

AMADEUS,  DUKE  OP  AOSTA,  a  Candidate  for  the  Spanish  Throne . 379 

Elected .  421 

He  accepts . 424 

METZ  surrenders,  October  25-28.  Changarnier  and  Bazaine  interviewed . 380-391 

Fritz  and  Prince  Charles  appointed  Field-Marshals .  394 

Radical  Revolution  in  Paris .  396 

Thiers-Bismarck  Armistice  Negotiations,  October  31 . 398-402 

Napoleon’s  apologetic  Address  from  Wilhelmshohe . 402,  403 

Famine  in  Paris  —  Rats,  Guinea  Pigs,  Horse-flesh  ;  Comic  Patriotism . 404-406 

VERDUN  capitulates,  November  8 .  406 

Treaty  of  Paris  broken,  and  the  Black  Sea  opened  —  Gortschakoff-Granville 

Correspondence . 407-412 

COULMIERS,  November  10,  The  first  and  last  French  Victory . 412-416 

OFFICERS  —  of  French  and  German  Armies,  with  Location,  November  15 _ 417-419 

Neuf  Brisach.  capitulates . 416 

DREUX,  November  17.  Mecklenburg’s  Victory . 419-421 

Ricciotti  Garibaldi’s  Raid  on  Ch&tillon .  422 

THIONVILLE  capitulates,  November  25 . 424-426 

BEAUNE-LA-ROLANDE,  November  28,  with  war  Preparations  for . 427-432 

ARTENAY  —  Mecklenburg’s  second  Battle,  December  2 . 433 

ORLEANS  —  Second  Battle,  December  3.  Faladines’  Defeat,  and  Retreat  of 

broken  Army . . . ' .  434 

Evacuation  of  Orleans  —  French  Disasters .  436 

Gambetta  in  Danger  at  La  Chapelle  —  Escape  of  the  Railroad  Train . 436 

AMIENS  captured,  438.  Paladines  disgraced . 438 

LUXEMBURG  and  the  text  of  the  broken  “Treaty  of  London ” . 440-442 

BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE,  November  28,  29,  30  ;  December  1,  2.  Trochu’s 
Three-days’  Struggle  at  Villiers,  Champigny,  and  Brie.  Vinoy,  Ducrot,  and 

7'homas . 442-456 

BEAUGENCY,  December  9.  Blois  shelled,  Bridge  destroyed  —  Gambetta,  458-460 
EMPEROR  FREDERICK  WILLIAM  I. '  The  Title  ratified  by  South- 

German  States . 462 

TOURS  captured,  December  20 . 465 

Faidherbe  and  Manteuffel  —  December  23.  A  Question  of  Veracity .  467 

MONT  AVRON  bombarded,  December  29 .  469 

Bapaum  and  Peronne  —  January  3 . . .  470 

BE  MANS  —  January  10.  Chanzy  defeated,  and  his  Army  broken  up .  472 

Montmedy  capitulates,  January  13 . 474 

PARIS  —  Trochu’s  last  Sortie —  Starvation,  475  ;  and  January  19 .  477 

"William  proclaimed  Emperor  —  His  Proclamation  to  Germany . 477 

St.  Quentin  captured,  and  Faidherbe  defeated,  January  19 .  478 

•  PARIS  moves  for  Surrender,  January  24.  Favre  and  Bismarck  negotiating, 

January  25  -Anrrpndcrs  January  28 . 480-483 

PEACE  —  The  Armistice  signed,  an  election  decreed  on  the  8th  of  February,  and 

the  Assembly  convoked  on  the  15th. .  . .  481 

Gambetta,  and  the  dual  Government  of  Paris  and  Bordeaux. . . . 483 

List  of  Fortified  Towns  and  Fortresses  captured,  with  614,000  Prisoners  of 

War .  482 

WHAT  MADE  A  NATION’S  DISASTERS  —  Csesarism,  Catholicism, 

Espionage,  Ignorance  of  the  Peasantry,  Standing  Army . 483-486 


The  Franco-Prussian  War. 


Sunday,  June  26,  1870. —  Ex-Queen  Isabella  of  Spain  for¬ 
mally  abdicates  the  throne  in  favor  of  her  eldest  son,  Prince 
Alphonso.  This  was  done  at  Paris,  at  the  Plotel  Basilewski, 
and  was  witnessed  by  Queen  Christina,  General  Lersundi,  and 
other  prominent  personages. 


Tuesday,  July  5. —  Ex-Queen  Isabella  notifies  foreign  gov¬ 
ernments  of  her  formal  abdication  of  the  throne  in  favor  of  her 
son.  On  this  same  day  the  fact  is  made  public,  that  Prince 
Leopold  of  Hohenzollern  has  consented  to  become  a  candi¬ 
date  for  the  vacant  throne  of  Spain.  Ttui-_cpnsent  is  alleged 
to  have  been  made  with  the  approval  of  the  King  of  Prussia. 


prince  Leopold  is  a  scion  of  the  royal  house  of  Hohenzol- 
.lern.  Frederick  William,  the  great  Elector,  born  in  1620,  was 
the  head  of  the  house.  Then  came  Frederick  I.  (1657), 
crowned  at  Konigsberg  first  King  of  Prussia.  Frederick  Wil¬ 
liam  I.  (1688)  followed.  Then  came  Frederick  the  Great 
(1712),  whose  mother  was  the  sister  of  George  I.  of  England. 


12 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


He  was  followed  by  Frederick  William  11.(1743),  whose  son, 
Frederick  William  III.,  succeeded  in  1770.  The  eldest  son  of 
Frederick  William  III.  was  Frederick  William  IV.,  born  in 
1795,  but  compelled,  on  account  of  his  insanity,  to  yield  to  his 
brother  William,  the  present  King,  in  1861.  The  present 
Crown  Prince,  Frederick  William,  was  born  in  1831.  The 
Prince  Royal,  Frederick  Charles,  nephew  of  the  King,  was 
bom  in  1828. 

'yhe.liohenzollerns  are  allied  by  marriage  to  most  of  the  sov¬ 
ereigns  of  Europe.  Even- Tli e~Ehr press  Eugenie  failed  in  an 
intrigue  to  marry  her  niece  (the  Duchess  of  Alba)  to  the  pres¬ 
ent  candidate,  Prince  Leopold,  proposed  by  General  Prim  for 
the  Spanish  throne. 

Prince- Leopold  is  thirty-nine  years  old,  having  been  born  in 
1831  ;  is  a  brother  of  Prince  Charles  of  Roumania,  who  unites 
with  Russia  in  breaking  the  Treaty  of  Paris  ;  a  nephew  of  the 
Marquis  of  Popoli,  and  grandson  of  the  Empress  Josephine. 
He  married  a  daughter  61  Ere  late  Queen  of  Portugal  and  the 
surviving  Prince  Consort,  Don  Fernando,  of  the  House  of 
Coburg.  On  the  demise  of  the  Queen  of  Portugal,  Leopold’s 
father-in-law,  Don  Fernando,  married  Miss  E.  Hensler,  an 
opera  singer  from  Boston,  but  made  a  Countess  by  the  Duke 
of  Saxe-Coburg. 

Prince  Leopold  has  a  charming  presence,  being  much  hand¬ 
somer  than  the  Duke  of  Aosta,  chosen  to  the  Spanish  throne 
before  the  death  of  General  Prim ;  and  his  wife,  the  Princess  of 
Portugal,  equals  her  husband  in  personal  beauty. 

His  countenance  is  frank  and  open,  and  his  conversation  is 
animate  with  free  and  candid  expressions.  Recently,  at  Ver¬ 
sailles  .(November  5  th),  where  Prince  Leopola  was  serviTTg  on 
the  staff  of  the  CrmViTT’rmce  Frederick  William,  he  asserted 
that  the  Spanish  throne  was  unsought  by  him.  He  believed  that 
the  crown  was  offered  to  him  in  good  faith  by  General  Prim, 
mainly  with  the  view  of  drawing  Spain  and  Portugal  into  closer 
union  for  the  future,  through  the  Princess,  his  wife. 

“  Why  Napoleon  continued  the  war,”  said  Prince  Leopold, 
“  after  I  had  withdrawn  in  good  faith  from  the  royal  candidacy, 
I  know  not,  unless,  as  it  seems,  the  Emperor,  underrating  the 
strength  and  unity  of  Germany,  resolved  to  conquer  her,  and 
glorify  France  by  extending  her  boundaries  to  the  Rhine.  I 
believe  Napoleon  used  the  fact  of  my  Spanish  candidacy  as  a 
pretext  in  the  absence  of  a  cause  for  war,  but  after  my  with¬ 
drawal  even  the  pretext  vanished.” 


WEDNESDA  Y,  JUL  Y  6. 


13 


Wednesday,  July  6.  —  Paris  agitated.  The  press  and  Im¬ 
perial  party  clamor  for  war  with  Prussia.  The  Spanish  Gov¬ 
ernment  notifies  European  Powers  of  its  intention  to  propose 
to  the  Cortes  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern  as  candidate  for 
the  Spanish  throne.  The  Duke  de  Gramont  sends  M.  Bene- 
detti,  the  French  ambassador  to  Prussia,  to  Ems,  to  demand  of 
King  William  his  kingly  renunciation  of  Leopold’s  candidature. 

l/  |  /V  *  y '  .  .  .  .  . 

Gramont,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  receives  official  notifL 
cation  from  Spain  of  Leopold’s  candidature,  and  announces  the 
fact  to  the  Legislative  Body,  creating  intense  excitement. 

NAPOLEON’S  STRATEGY. 

The  strategy  of  the  war  party  is  to  make  colored  statements 
in  regard  to  German  interference,  and  create  a  false  public  sen¬ 
timent,  so  that  it  shall  appear  that  the  Emperor  does  not  bring 
on  war.  The  Left,  led  by  such  sturdy  republicans  as  Cremieux, 
Favre,  Thiers,  and  Gambetta,  are  opposed  to  war,  and  the  duty 
has  been  assigned  to  such  Imperial  servants  of  Napoleon  as 
Ollivier,  Minister  of  Justice,  Gramont,  and  Valdrome,  Minister 
of  the  Interior,  to  “whip  them  into  ”  the  Imperial  scheme.  To¬ 
day,  Gramont  announces  Prussian  interference  in  Spanish  mat¬ 
ters  in  a  very  dramatic  manner.  Many  members  are  so  hot¬ 
headed,  that  they  cannot  see  that  King  William’s  programme  is 
strict  non-interference  in  the  affairs  of  either  Spain  or  Prince 
Leopold.  The  whole  ceremony  of  announcement  was  played 
in  the  Corps  Lcgislatif  as  it  had  been  rehearsed  with  Napoleon 
at  St.  Cloud.  Gramont,  in  stating  Prince  Leopold’s  candidature, 
warned  his  auditors  against  Prussia  with  as  much  cunning  as 
Mark  Antony  used  in  turning  the  conspirators  against  Brutus 
while  the  cool  and  calculating  Ollivier  thus  telegraphed  the  suc¬ 
cessful  result  of  Imperial  strategy  to  his  piaster  : 

Paris, 

His  Majesty  the  Emperor,  at  St.  Cloud. 

Gramont’s  declaration  has  been  received  by  the  House  with  great  agita¬ 
tion  and  immense  applause.  Even  the  opposition,  with  the  exception  of 
a  very  small  number,  has  declared  that  it  will  support  the  Government. 
The  agitation,  indeed,  was  at  first  greater  than  was  intended.  They  said 
it  was  a  declaration  of  war.  I  made  use  of  a  statement  of  Cremieux  to  ex¬ 
plain  how  matters  stood.  I  would  not  allow  of  our  being  represented  as 
deliberately  hastening  on  war  ;  we  only  wanted  to  maintain  an  honorable 
peace.  The  agitation,  too,  among  the  people  is  very  great ;  but  it  is  a  no¬ 
ble,  patriotic  emotion.  One  heart  beats  in  this  nation 


Em.  Ollivier, 


14 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


M.  Persigny,  the  Prefect  of  Paris,  immediately  telegraphed 
to  the  Emperor  : 

Paris,  July  6. 

Receive  my  most  ardent  congratulations.  All  France  is  with  you.  The 
enthusiasm  is  universal. 

To-night,  amid  the  war  excitement  in  Paris,  a  trembling  dis¬ 
patch  is  sent  over  the  wires  by  the  Spanish  Minister  to  Madrid  ; 
and  Marshal  Prim,  whose  innocent  offer  of  a  throne  had  dark¬ 
ened  the  fair  sky  of  Europe  with  the  threatening  clouds  of  war, 
read  this  dispatch  : 

Paris,  July  6. 

To  Senor  Sagasta,  Minister  of  State : 

I  was  very  far  from  overrating  the  effects  of  the  first  impression.  Decla¬ 
ration  of  the  Government  and  attitude  of  the  Corps  Legislatif  may  be  con¬ 
sidered  as  sure  precursors  of  war  with  Prussia,  provided  a  Prussian  prince 
shall  become  King  of  Spain.  [And  then  in  cipher]  —  As  France  is  only  too 
glad  of  an  opportunity  for  war  with  Prussia,  would  it  not  be  expedient  for 
Spain  to  remove  the  cause,  or  at  least  smooth  it  over  by  explanation  ? 

Olozaga. 

Friday,  July  8. — The  Spanish  Government  notifies  the 
crowns  of  Europe  that  the  candidature  of  a  Hohenzollern  is 
not  planned  in  a  spirit  hostile  to  Erance.  France  demands 
that  the  King  of  Prussia,  as  King,  shall  prevent  Prince  Le- 
pold’s  acceptance  of  the  Spanish  throne. 

,  SPAIN  DENIES  PRUSSIA’S  CONNECTION. 

In  obedience  to  Olozaga’s  suggestion,  Sagasta,  to-day,  sends 
the  following  conciliatory  explanation  to  Paris,  hoping  to  allay 
the  fever  of  war : 

Madrid,  July  8. 

To  Senor  Olozaga,  Spanish  Ambassador  to  Paris  : 

Your  Excellency  will  contradict  that  the  candidacy  of  Prince  Leopold 
(Hohenzollern)  has  been  proposed  in  a  spirit  hostile  to  France  or  its  gov¬ 
ernment.  You  will  further  contradict  that  Marshal  Prim  applied  to  Count 
Bismarck  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  King  of  Prussia.  Negotiations  were 
carried  on  exclusively  with  Prince  Leopold,  without  our  having  entered  in 
this  matter  into  any  connection  with  Count  Bismarck. 

Sagasta. 

FRANCE  DEMANDS  PRUSSIAN  INTERFERENCE. 

Gramont  officially  demands,  to-day,  through  Benedetti,  the 
French  Ambassador,  an  explanation  from  King  William.  Gra¬ 
mont  demands  curtly  but  respectfully,  in  the  name  of  France, 


SUNDA  Y,  JUL  Y  io. 


15 


that  King  William,  not  only  as  the  head  of  the  Hohenzollern, 
but  as  King  of  Prussia,  shall  present  Prince  Leopold’s  accept¬ 
ance.  Benedetti  arrives  at  Ems  from  Wilbad,  and  receives 
Gramont’s  dispatches  in  the  evening,  presenting  them  to  King 
William  on  the  day  following. 

Saturday,  July  9.  —  The  French  Court  desires  a  rupture 
with  Prussia.  French  troops  concentrated  in  Algeria.  King 
William  to  be  held  to  the  Treaty  of  Prague. 

THE  GROWTH  OF  WAR. 

Minister  of  War,  Lebceuf,  and  Minister  of  Marine,  Genou- 
illy,  are  closeted  at  St.  Cloud  with  the  Emperor  to-day,  and 
an  order  has  gone  forth  to  concentrate  the  French  troops  in 
Algeria.  TheJParis  press  to-day  are  in  favor  of  extending  the 
present  question  with  Prussia  to  the  execution  of  the  Treaty  of 
Prague.  The  Moniteur  demands  that  France  shall  go  to  war, 
unless  Prussia  grants  liberty  to  the  South  German  States,  evacu¬ 
ates  Mayence ,  renounces  all  military  influetice  beyond  the  Main, 
and  fulfils  the  Denmark  clause  in  the  Treaty  of  Prague. 

Sunday ,  July  10.  —  Negotiations  are  proceeding  between 
Paris  and  Ems.  A  money  panic  in  Paris.  Marshal  Leboeuf 
orders  reports  from  arsenals  and  military  depots.  Powder  and 
munitions  of  war  going  towards  the  border. 

FRANCE  FIGHTS  FOR  TERRITORY. 

Paris,  fidy  10.  —  The  negotiations  are  proceeding  between 
Paris  and  Ems,  but  the  result  cannot  as  yet  be  foretold. 
Rentes  are  quoted  at  69.95. 

Noon. — Things  look  blacker  than  ever.  Rentes  to-day 
went  down  to  69.50,  the  lowest  price  since  the  panic. 

Paris  wants  war,  and  would  be  delighted  if  the  Emperor,  in 
a  Bombastese  vein,  should  make  the  declaration.  Peace  does 
not  depend  upon  Prussia  “  giving  way.”  It  depends  on  an  apol¬ 
ogy.  That  is  by  no  means  a  desperate  expectation.  “  He  has 
‘  caved  in  ’  many  a  time  before,  and  if  not  utterly  demented, 
must  do  so  now.”  The  ministerial  journals,  whose  diabolical 


16 


THE  FRAN C O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


cue  it  is  to  preach  war,  are  terribly  afraid  lest  the  pretext 
should  be  removed  by  the  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern 
withdrawing  his  candidature.  The  (formerly)  reasonable  Mon- 
itcur  echoes  the  incendiary  language  of  the  Pays,  and  says 
that  after  the  pass  to  which  things  have  come,  the  fullest  con¬ 
cession  in  the  Spanish  business  ought  not  to  stop  war.  These 
organs  are  now' instructed  to  say,  that  unless  Prussia  at  once 
executes  the  Treaty  of  Prague  to  the  fullest  extent,  in  the  sense 
of  the  French  interpretation  —  unless  she  evacuates  the  fortress 
of  Mayence,  and  renounces  all  influence  in  Southern  Germany 
—  now  is  the  time  for  France  to  extend  her  frontiers  to  the 
Rhine.  , 

Three ,  P.M.  — JYL  Benedetti  has  an  interview  with  the  King 
of  Prussia  at  Eras  at  this  hour.  He  will  demand  the  interfer¬ 
ence  of  King  William,  as  King,  against  Leopold’s  acceptance 
of  tlie  Spanish  throne.  If  the  KTng~does  not  at  once  succumb, 
the  Empire  will  at  once  declare  war  The  Empire  must  have 
war.  Of  course  there  is  not  the  slightest  chance  that  the 
King  will  submit  to  this  childish  bullying.  France,  by  the 
rash  conduct  of  her  so-called  parliamentary  Ministers,  has  put 
herself  altogether  in  the  wrong.  Europe,  to  whom  in  intervals 
of  fright  the  Ollivier  Ministry  piteously  appeals,  can  never 
sanction  a  war  because  a  distant  relative  of  the  King  of  Prussia, 
not  belonging  to  the  royal  family,  may  possibly  be  selected  to 
take  the  Spanish  crown,  which  has  been  so  long  going  beg¬ 
ging- 

Six,  P.M. — The  Duke  de  Gramont,  after  returning  from 
an  interview  with  the  Emperor  at  St.  Cloud,  spoke  as  follows 
to  an  eagerly  expectant  group  in  the  lobby  of  the  Corps  L6- 
gislatif :  “  By  Monday  we  shall  know  what  we  have  to  trust 
to  ;  we  shall  either  have  then  a  magnificent  peace  or  a  neces¬ 
sary  war.” 

THE  DOGS  OF  WAR. 

Nine,  P.M.  — rQisJjYench  Gj^rnmenpis_at Jboiling  heat.  War  is  the 
word.  “  A  has  Bismarck ”  "sounds  out  on  the  streets'.  Some  cool  heads, 
like  Jules  Favre,  the  Sumner  of  France;  Leon  Gambetta,  the  Seward  ; 
and  even  Ollivier,  dupe  of  the  Emperor,  deprecate  war.  The  rest, 
with  the  Emperor,  would  shed  blood  without  adequate  cause.  The 
nation  deserves  a  severe  lesson,  which  it  is  extremely  likely  to  get,  if  it  per¬ 
severes  in  its  present  bloodthirsty  sentiments.  All  modern  wars  have  been 
prefaced  by  strenuous  efforts  to  throw  the  responsibility  upon  the  party  be¬ 
ginning.  In  this  point  of  view  France  has  a  most  up-hill  game  to  play,  if 
her  rulers  are  determined  to  draw  the  sword.  The  Emperor,  who  has  no 
right  at  all  to  interfere  with  the  choice  of  a  Government  by  the  Spanish 


MONDAY,  JULY  n. 


17 


people,  has  objected  to  a  Republic,  has  objected  to  the  sovereignty  of  the 
Duke  of  Montpensier,  and  has  notoriously  intrigued  with  the  deposed 
Queen  Isabella,  in  the  hope  of  making  her  boy  Alphonso  king.  T o  let  loose 
the  dogs  of  war  on  account  of  his  vexation  at  Prince  Hohenzollern  being 
proposed  for  the  vacant  throne,  must  shock  universal  conscience.  It  is  no 
rational  or  plausible  casus  belli.  That  fact  is  beginning  to  be  perceived 
even  by  French  Imperialists,  and  therefore  they  are  reduced  to  say  that  the 
present  difficulty  is  only  a  good  opportunity  to  reckon  up  old  scores  with 
Prussia. 

No  great  power  whatever  should  give  any  countenance  to  this  mischiev¬ 
ous  French  freak.  The  world  cannot  afford  to  pet  such  a  strong,  spoiled 
child  as  France.  She  must  be  taught  that  what  M.  Ollivier  calls  her  “just 
susceptibilities”  are  in  this  case  all  nonsense,  and  if  M.  Ollivier  should 
be  upset  by  the  process,  no  great  harm  would  be  done.  Bleeding  is  good 
sometimes  for  a  fever. 

Monday,  July  ri.  —  Jhe  King;  of  Prussia  declines  to  inter¬ 
fere  in  the  selection  of  a  King  of  Spain.  Explanatory  and  con¬ 
fidential  utterances  of  King  William  are  perverted  by  the 
French  Minister.  A  thunder-storm  changes  the  French  Min¬ 
ister’s  dispatch.  Duke  de  Gramont  declares  that  France  will 
never  permit  a  German  prince  to  mount  the  throne  of  Charles 
V.  Increased  excitement.  The  Queen  of  Prussia  writes  from 
Ems  in  favor  of  peace.  Napoleon’s  war  horses  reported  sent 
to  the  frontier.  Queen  Victoria  sends  telegraphic  messages  to 
Paris  and  Berlin  in  favor  of  peace. 

PRUSSIA  AVOWS  NON-INTERFERENCE. 

Berlin,  July  II.  — The  Foreign  Office  has  forwarded  a  communication 
to  the  representatives  of  the  North  German  Confederation  in  Germany, 
stating  that  the  allied  Governments,  and  especially  the  Government  of 
Prussia,  have  hitherto,  one  and  all,  refrained,  and  will  continue  to  refrain, 
from  every  interference  in  the  selection  of  a  King  of  Spain,  or  in  the  eventual 
acceptance  or  refusal  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  candidates.  It  is  added  that 
the  German  Governments  act  thus  because  they  have  always  regarded  and 
treated  the  matter  as  one  solely  concerning  Spain  and  the  selected  candi¬ 
date,  and  because  such  is  the  course  which  respect  for  the  independence  of 
Spain  naturally  implies.  The  note  concludes  by  stating  that  these  views 
were  already  known  to  the  French  Government,  but  that  explanatory  and 
confidential  utterances  in  reference  to  the  affair  had  been  prevented  by  the 
tone  which  the  French  Minister  had  assumed  from  the  beginning. 


18 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  U.SSIAN  WAR. 


FRANCE  PREPARES  FOR  WAR. 

July  II.  —  Preparations  for  War  are  going  on  upon  a  grand  scale  Mar¬ 
shal  Lebceuf,  Minister  of  War,  has  desired  generals  of  division  to  send  in 
to  him,  within  three  days,  a  full  report  of  the  state  of  the  arsenals,  depots, 
anil  barracks  within  their  supervision.  Circulars  calling  upon  all  soldiers  on 
furlough  to  join  their  regiments  are  ready  to  be  posted.  Powder  and  muni¬ 
tions  of  war  are  hourly  rolling  by  fast  trains  towards  the  eastern  frontier. 
Tlie  handful  of  150,000  men  are  all  ready  to  be  thrown  upon  the  Rhine  at 
the  first  signal.  Eighteen  commissariat  officers  have  been  sent  to  Hungary  to 
buy  hay,  which,  it  is  said,  may  be  got  there  for  half  the  price  which  it  now 
costs  in  France.  Six  hundred  carriages  Of  the  Eastern  Railway  Company 
have  been  engaged  to  transport  forage  from  Hungary. 

In  the  eventuality  of  war,  the  Emperor  means  to  command  the  army 
“  in  person.”  What  misjudged  flattery  this  is  !  Everybody  knows  that  if 
the  Emperor  can  get  up  from  an  arm-chair  to  walk  for  a  few  minutes  on 
the  arm  of  an  aide-de-camp,  in  a  green  alley  in  the  garden  of  St.  Cloud,  he 
has  made  a  great  achievement,  calculated  to  produce  a  rise  at  the  Bourse. 
He  is,  somewhat  prematurely,  but  really,  in  his  “  chair  days,”  and  the  no¬ 
tion  of  his  commanding  an  army  in  the  field  is  all  nonsense. 


THE  PUZZLING  DESPATCHES. 

Paris,  Monday  evening.  —  The  prolonged  suspense  is  re¬ 
lieved  by  a  comic  incident.  The  expectation  of  the  French 
Government,  confidently  expressed  on  Saturday,  that  it  would 
this  day  be  able  to  state  positively  whether  we  are  to  have 
peace  or  war,  was  not  realized ;  the  Duke  de  Gramont  told  the 
Corps  Lemslatif  this  afternoon  that  he  had  as  yet  “  nothing  to 
say.”  A  long  despatch  in  cipher,  sent  by  M.  Benedetti  from 
Ems,  was  received  last  night,,  and  the  Emperor  and  his  Ministers, 
after  puzzling  over  it  for  two  hours,  could  make  out  very  little 
of  the  contents.  There  was in  the  despatch  (so  says  Gramont) 
q_n  extraordinary  and  inextricable  jumble  of  politics  and  barrels 
of  wine.  The  war-papers  openly  accuse  the  Prussian  Govern¬ 
ment  of  having  purposely  spoiled  the  despatch,  in  order  to  gain 
time.  Some  attribute  the  mishap  to  derangement  of  the  tele¬ 
graphic  wires  caused  by  lightning.  But  another  version,  really 
not  more  unacceptable  than  many  current  canards ,  is,  that  the 
King  of  Prussia,  who  — it  is  now  an  historical  fact  —  asked  M. 
Benedetti  to  dinner  on  Saturday,  as  a  preliminary  to  business, 
so  plied  him  with  the  choicest  specimens  of  that  treacherous 
Rhine  wine ,  which  in  this  hot  weather  slips  down  the  throat 


TUESDA  Y,  JUL  Y  12. 


19 


like  water,  but  is  terribly  heady,  that  the  ambassador,  after 
leaving  the  presence,  was  not  able  to  draw  up  his  despatch  in¬ 
telligibly.  The  mess  made  of  this  important  despatch  is  ex¬ 
tremely  unlucky.  The  accident  may,  however,  turn  out  well 
for  the  peace  of  the  world. 

The  Ollivier  journals  take  the  utmost  pains  to  make  the 
maintenance  of  peace  impossible.  They  insist  that  nothing 
short  of  the  submission  of  Prussia  to  palpable  humiliation  and 
insult  will  satisfy  France.  The  Monitcur  (now  just  as  bad  as 
the  atrocious  Pays)  says  :  “The  situation  comes  to  this  :  either 
the  head  of  the  Hohenzollerns  must  give  way  and  publicly 
withdraw  from  Prince  Leopold  that  authorization  which  he 
clandestinely  gave  him — in  which  case  Prussian  militarism  will 
receive  a  mortal  check  ;  or,  misled  by  fatal  self-love,  King  Wil¬ 
liam  will  refuse  the  just  demands  of  France,  and  then  there 
will  be  war.”  The  utmost  pains  is  taken  by  the  Government 
press  to  inculcate  the  doctrine,  that  it  will  not  do  for  the  King 
of  Prussia  to  say  he  recommends  Prince  Leopold  to  renounce 
his  candidature,  but  only  in  the  character  of  head  of  his  family. 
They  say  he  must  do  it  in  his  character  of  King  of  Prussia,  and 
give  a  positive  guarantee.  It  is  because  they  know  the  King 
will  not  and  cannot  do  this,  that  they  insist  upon  it.  M.  Arago, 
after  M.  de  Gramont’s  statement  to-day  that  he  had  nothing  to 
communicate  for  the  moment,  asked  the  very  pertinent  ques¬ 
tion  whether,  if  Prussia  gave  way  fully  on  the  Hohenzollern 
question,  France  would  make  a  casus  belli  of  other  things.  M. 
de  Gramont  made  a  feint  of  rising  to  reply,  but  convenient 
clamor  —  patriotic  clamor,  as  the  French,  in  their  present 
temper,  style  it  —  prevented  him  from  obtaining  a  hearing,  and 
so  the  grounds  of  war  are  left  as  large  as  possible. 

The  Soir  says  that  M.  Benedetti  is  blamed  for  accepting  the 
King  of  Prussia’s  dinner,  and  that  a  “rude  and  public  refusal” 
would  have  been  an  excellent  thing  for  the  dignity  of  France. 

A  despatch  has  been  received  by  the  Emperor  from  Queen 
Victoria  in  favor  of  peace.  The  Emperor’s  war  horses  have 
gone  forward. 

Tuesday,  July  12. — The  negotiations  between  Paris,  Ems, 
and  Madrid  going  on.  Announcement  that  Prince  Leopold 
has  withdrawn  from  the  candidature.  Thg  French  Govern- 
ment  and  people  not  satisfied  with  this  withdrawal.  Security 


20 


THE  FRAN  CO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


against  future  attempts  of  the  kind  demanded.  French  troops 
move  towards  the  frontier. 


LEOPOLD  REJECTS  THE  SPANISH  THRONE. 


Augsburg,  July  12. —  The  hereditary  Prince  of  Hohenzollern,  in  order 
to  restore  to  the  Spanish  Government  their  freedom  of  initiative,  refuses 
the  candidature  for  the  throne  of  Spain,  and  is  firmly  determined  not  to 
allow  a  secondary  family  question  to  grow  into  a  pretext  for  war. 


SPAIN  NOTIFIES  FRANCE. 


Madrid,  July  12. —  The  Government  has  telegraphed  to  the  Spanish 
representatives  abroad  to  communicate  to  the  foreign  Governments  the  act 
of  the  renunciation  of  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern. 


FRANCE  REPLIES. 


Madrid  (Evening). —  The  reply  of  the  French  Government  has  been 
received.  It  is  respectful  and  friendly  in  tone ;  it  recognizes  the  right  of 
Spain  to  constitute  herself,  but  considers  that  the  presence  of  a  German 
prince  on  the  Spanish  throne  would  disturb  the  equilibrium  of  Europe. 
For  these  reasons,  the  despatch  says,  the  French  Government  would  refuse 
to  recognize  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern  as  King  of  Spain. 


WHAT  THE  PRESS  SAYS. 


The  press  of  Europe  thus  reflects  public  opinion,  after  Leo¬ 
pold  withdraws  his  name  as  a  candidate  to  the  Spanish  throne  : 

La  France  says  (July  12)  :  The  French  Government  demands  not  only 
that  Prince  Leopold  shall  renounce  his  candidacy  for  the  Spanish  throne, 
but  that  his  candidacy  shall  be  disavowed  by  the  King  of  Prussia,  both  as 
head  of  the  family  and  as  King  of  Prussia. 

The  Cross  Gazette  (German)  says:  “Is  it  not  boundless  arrogance  to 
demand  of  Germany  that  she  should,  for  the  sake  of  assisting  the  behests 
of  French  policy,  do  gendarme’s  service  for  the  Prince  of  the  Asturias 
against  a  German  Prince  who  is  of  full  age.  Does  France  claim  a  right  to 
act  as  the  guardian  of  neighboring  nations  ?  If  so,  it  is  useless  any  more  to 
speak  of  settled  peace,  for  its  preservation  would  only  remain  a  question  of 
time,  which  at  any  moment  may  be  broken.”  The  paper  concludes  thus  : 
‘  ‘  Whoever  shall  frivolously  be  bent  upon  quarrelling  with  us,  will  find  us 
ready  for  defence.” 


The  London  Daily  News  says,  speaking  of  Leopold’s  with¬ 
drawing  his  name  : 

We  may  now  hope  that  the  peace  of  Europe  will  be  unbroken.  The 
withdrawal  of  Leopold’s  name  should  end  a  controversy  both  terrible  and 
ridiculous.  The  French  Government  is  wholly  responsible  for  all  the  mis¬ 
chief  which  the  events  of  the  last  eight  days  have  produced. 


WEDNESDA  Y,  JUL  Y  .13. 


21 


THE  FATHER  WITHDRAWS  THE  SON. 

To-day,  Leopold’s  father,  the  Prince  Hohenzollern,  destroys 
all  cause  or  shadow  of  pretext  of  war,  by  withdrawing  his  son’s 
name  from  the  Spanish  throne  candidacy.  Henceforth,  if  Na¬ 
poleon  shall  demand  concessions  from  Prussia,  move  troops  to 
the  border,  or  by  coloring  confidential  utterances,  push  the 
French  people  into  a  bloody  war,  the  responsibility  will  be  upon 
his  own  head.  A  people  who  pay  more  for  arsenals  than  they 
do  for  school-houses  will  not  think,  and  when  such  pride  and 
madness  rule  a  nation,  it  is  the  prerogative  of  divinity  to  school 
her  in  a  war  of  adversity.  This  little  dispatch  is  the  harbinger 
of  peace : 

SlGMARINGEN,  July  12,  I  870. 

To  Marshal  Prim,  Madrid  :  — 

In  consideration  of  the  diffiulties  which  the  candidacy  of  my  son  Leopold 
to  the  Spanish  throne  seems  to  meet  with,  and  the  painful  position  which 
late  events  have  caused  to  the  Spanish  people,  placing  it  in  an  alternative 
wherein  it  could  be  guided  only  by  its  feeling  of  independence ;  being  con¬ 
vinced  that  under  such  circumstances  it  could  not  be  of  that  sincerity  and 
independence,  which  my  son  counted  upon  when  he  accepted  the  candidacy, 
I  withdraw  it  in  his  name. 

Prince  of  Hohenzollern. 

Even  after  the  receipt  of  this  dispatch  the  war  excitement 
was  kept  up,  and  preparations  were  made  for  a  coming  con¬ 
flict.  The  author  has  now  before  him  hundreds  of  telegrams 
like  the  following,  dated  from  July  6  to  July  16  : 

Paris,  July  9,  1870. 

Minister  of  War  to  Marshal  and  Governor-General,  Algiers  : 

Give  orders  to  generals  commanding  in  provinces  of  Algiers  to  make  re¬ 
turns  of  all  corps  of  infantry  under  their  charge,  containing  nominations  for 
officers  of  different  grades.  The  generals  will  send  their  reports  directly 
to  me,  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

Wednesday,  July  13.  —  Both  nations  rapidly  arming. 

GRAMONT  SHUNS  THE  ISSUE. 

Paris,  July  13  ( Evening ). — In  to-day’s  sitting  of  the  Legislative 
Body,  the  Duke  de  Gramont  made  the  following  declaration:  “The 
Spanish  ambassador  in  Paris  officially  announced  yesterday  to  the  French 
Government  the  withdrawal  of  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern’s  candi¬ 
dacy  for  the  throne  of  Spain.  The  negotiations  which  we  are  carrying  on 
with  Prussia,  and  which  never  had  any  other  object  in  view  than  the 
above-mentioned  solution,  are  not  as  yet  terminated.  It  is,  therefore, 


22 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


impossible  for  the  Government  to  speak  of  the  subject,  or  to  submit  to-day 
to  the  Chamber  and  to  the  country  a  general  statement  of  this  affair.” 

M.  David,  Senator,  submitted  the  following  interpellation  :  “  Considering 
the  firm  and  categorical  declarations  of  the  Government,  which  were  enthusi¬ 
astically  received  by  the  country,  and  considering  that  these  declarations  are 
in  flagrant  opposition  with  the  ridiculous  slowness  of  the  negotiations,  I  ask 
to  question  the  Ministry  upon  their  attitude,  which  imperils  the  national 
dignity.”  The  Duke  de  Gramont  proposed  to  fix  Friday  for  the  discus¬ 
sion  of  the  interpellations  of  M.  David  and  M.  Clement  Duvemois.  M.  de 
Keratry,  Senator,  demanded,  on  the  contrary,  that  they  should  be  discussed 
at  once,  as  every  delay  that  occurred  was  simply  so  much  playing  into  the 
hands  of  Prussia.  The  debate  was  ultimately  fixed  for  Friday. 

The  Official  Journal  of  this  evening  says  :  “Public  opinion  in  France 
and  abroad  has  done  justice  to  the  moderation  and  firmness  of  the  Duke 
de  Gramont’ s  declaration  in  the  Legislative  Body  on  the  subject  of  the 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern’s  candidacy  for  the  Spanish  throne.  As  M.  Olli- 
vier  said  at  the  same  sitting,  each  time  that  France  shows  herself  firm, 
without  exaggeration,  in  the  defence  of  her  legitimate  rights,  she  is  sure  of 
obtaining  the  moral  support  and  approval  of  Europe.” 

gramonPs  vague  policy. 

The  Duke  de  Gramont’s  statement  to-day  in  the  Chambers  has  been  re¬ 
ceived  with  dissatisfaction  and  surprise.  It  is  considered  vague  and  incom¬ 
plete,  and  public  feeling  is  again  uneasy.  Ollivier  and  Gramont  are  ene¬ 
mies.  Ollivier  is  naturally  a  peace  man — naturally  a  conservative,  but 
fear  of  Napoleon  makes  him  for  war.  Trochu  says  Ollivier  would  be 
“quite  a  decent  man  if  he  had  a  barrel  of  powder  in  him.”  Pie  is  a 
peace-war  minister. 


Thursday,  July  14. — .  Refusal  of  King  William  of  Prussia 
to  receive -Gaunt  Benedetti,  the  French  ambassador  to  Prus¬ 
sia.  Contradictory  reports  of  the  affair.  The  King  said  that 
he  was  willing  to  disavow  any  knowledge  of,  or  complicity  in, 
the  candidature  of  Prince  Leopold,  and  was  ready  to  advise 
against  it  as  head  of  the  House  of  Hohehzollem,  but  not  as 
King  of  Prussia.  He  also  announced  the  withdrawal  of  the 
Prince.  Benedetti  insists  upon  further  guarantees.  The  King 


THURSDAY,  JULY  14. 


23 


refuses  to  speak  to  him.  He  leaves  Ems  for  Paris.  Count 
Bismarck  reported  to  have  telegraphed  an  account  of  the  af¬ 
fair  to  all  the  courts  of  Europe.  Tremendous  excitement  in 
Paris.  Ollivier,  the  President  of  the  Imperial  Council,  ac¬ 
cused  of  corruption.  The  French  fleet  sails  to  blockade 
Prussian  ports. 


THE  KING’S  REFUSAL. 

Berlin,  July  14.  —  Yesterday,  Count  Benedetti,  the  French 
ambassador,  accosted  King  William  at  Ems.'  He  handed  the 
King  an  extra  sheet  of  the  Cologne  Gazette  relating  to  the 
withdrawal  of  Prince  Leopold  from  the  Spanish  throne.  The 
King  said  this  action  of  the  Prince  settled  the  whole  matter. 
Count  Benedetti  made  a.  new  dej^ancbjocoposing  that  the  King 
should  pledge-Tiimself  never  to  give  his  consent  to  a  Hohen- 
-xollern  filling  the  Spanish  throne.  The  King  refused.  The 
Count  called  again,  but  the  King  refused  to  see  him,  or  to  sign 
“  his  official  renunciation,  now  and  forever,  of  all  pretensions  to 
the  throne  of  Spain  on  the  part  of  any  member  of  the  Hohen- 
zollern  family.” 

ALMOST  A  DECLARATION  OF  WAR. 

Paris,  July  14,  5.55  p.m.  —  Paris  is  to-day  in  a  state  of  extreme  sus¬ 
pense.  Reports  of  a  curt  and  unsatisfactory  reply  from  the  King  of  Prus¬ 
sia  to  M.  Benedetti,  and  the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  at  the  Tuileries,  have 
largely  increased  the  apprehensions  of  war,  which  have  been  further  aug¬ 
mented  by  minor  incidents,  among  which  have  been  a  conference  of  Mar¬ 
shal  Leboeuf  with  the  Emperor,  and  the  departure  of  a  regiment  of  cavalry 
from  Paris  in  full  marching  order.  The  probability  of  war  is  the  sole  en¬ 
grossing  topic  among  earnest  groups  at  all  public  places.  The  approaches 
to  the  Corps  Legislatif  are  thronged  by  an  anxious  crowd  agitated  by  vari¬ 
ous  successive  rumors,  and  the  expectation  of  a  communication  from  the 
Government  has  caused  a  full  attendance  both  in  the  Senate  and  the  Leg¬ 
islative  Body.  The  Ministers  remained  in  council  with  the  Emperor  until 
very  late  this  afternoon,  and  were  then  on  the  point  of  starting  for  the 
Senate  at  four  p.m.,  in  order  to  make  declarations  of  the  gravest  possible 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  USSIAJV  WAR. 


24 

character,  when  a  cipher  despatch  of  one  thousand  words  arrived  from 
I\I.  Benedetti.  This  is  being  still  translated,  and  the  communication  of 
the  Government  to  the  Legislature  is  therefore  deferred  till  to-morrow. 

Evening.  —  In  the  Senate  to-day,  at  the  commencement  of  the  sitting, 
M.  Rouher  stated  that  the  Government  would  make  a  communication  ; 
but  towards  the  close  of  the  sitting  it  was  announced  that  the  declaration 
of  the  Government  would  only  be  made  to-morrow. 

SUSPECTED  DECEPTION. 

The  warlike  preparations  are  being  pushed  forward  with  unflagging  ac¬ 
tivity.  An  article  in  the  Journal  des  Debate  doubts  the  alleged  discour¬ 
teous  treatment  of  M.  Benedetti  at  Ems.  The  Debats  urges  moderation, 
and  earnestly  advocates  peace.  The  Siecle  says  if  France  seeks  a  pretext 
for  conflict  after  the  renunciation  of  Prince  Leopold,  she  must  be  consid¬ 
ered  the  disturber  of  public  peace.  The  Siecle  points  out  the  change  in 
the  tone  of  the  English  press,  which  at  the  outset  so  frankly  sympathized 
with  France,  and  adds  that  if  France  is  not  content  with  the  real  satisfac¬ 
tion  now  offered  her,  she  must  expect  to  find  public  opinion  entirely  against 
her. 

Ems,  July  14.  —  The  King  of  Prussia  will  proceed  to-morrow  early  by 
special  train  to  Berlin.  The  Ministers,  Herr  Camphausen  and  Count  Eu- 
lenburg,  have  left  here.  M.  Benedetti  leaves  this  afternoon. 

PERSONAL  (LESARISM. 

Paris,  July  14.  —  The  news  from  St.  Cloud  is  that  the 
Court  is  bent  upon  war ,  and  that  the  Ministry  —  though  for¬ 
sooth  a  Parliamentary  Ministry !  —  can  only  follow  suit.  The 
coming  war,  just  like  the  former  ones  waged  by  that  Empire 
which  professes  to  be  “  peace,”  is  declared  suddenly,  “  when 
heaven  was  all  tranquillity,”  by  the  sole  will  of  one  man.  One 
New  Year’s  Day  the  Emperor  in  person  astounded  the  Corps 
Diplomatique  by  making  an  insulting  speech  to  the  Austrian 
ambassador,  and  within  a  fortnight  a  French  army  was  crossing 
the  Alps.  Now  the  suddenness  is  just  the  same.  The  only 
difference  in  form  is,  that  the  Government,  being  reputed  to  be 
not  personal,  but  parliamentary,  the  Emperor  makes  his  shot  by 
the  mouth  of  M.  de  Gramont,  his  own  especial  Minister,  who, 
as  ambassador  at  Vienna,  has  been  confidentially  concerting  a 
revenge  for  Sadowa. 


THURSDAY,  JULY  14. 


25 


FRENCH  CORRUPTION. 

The  Soir  contains  the  following  attack  upon  M.  Emile 
Ollivier : 

An  unheard-of,  unprecedented,  scandalous  fact  occurred  to-day  in  the  Corp  L6gislatif. 
A  man  enjoying  the  confidence  of  the  Sovereign,  a  Minister  filling  the  functions  of  Presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Council,  allowed  himself  to  divulge  in  the  lobby,  before  a  certain  number  of 
deputies,  diplomatic  secrets  with  the  sans/aQon  with  which  he  might  have  talked  about 
his  own  private  affairs.  ”  We  have  got/’  he  said,  “  Hohenzollern’s  resignation  from  his 
father,  and  we  are  satisfied.”  When  the  House  met,  it  was  found  that  the  Government 
had  no  official  declaration  to  make,  and  nothing  remained  of  the  extraordinary  extra- 
official  revelations  of  the  Keeper  of  the  Seals.  We  submit  this  fact  to  the  verdict  of  public 
opinion. 

CONFIDENCE  LOST. 

Berlin,  July  14  (Evening).  —  The  official  Provincial  Cor¬ 
respondence  of  this  evening  explains  how  utterly  unjustifiable 
was  the  demand  of  France  that  the  King  of  Prussia  should  for¬ 
bid  Prince  Leopold  to  accept  the  Spanish  Crown ;  adding,  that 
it  was  consequently  impossible  for  the  King  to  comply  with  the 
behests  of  France.  Meanwhile  Count  Benedetti  has  sent  an 
excited  telegram  to  Paris.  ^The  refusal  of  King  William_to  have 
die  third  ^unofficial  interview  with  him  as  a  private  gentleman, 
has~I5een  misconstrued  by  the  Count  into  a  national  discourtesy. 
Prince  Leopold  has  refused  the  throne.  If  Paris  should  now 
return  to  reason  and  quietness  confidence  in  a  lasting  peace 
cannot  be  restored.  Eight  days  ago  France  said  she  was  at 
peace  with  Prussia.  We  believed  it  then. 

Now  we  do  not  believe  it.  It  were  as  well  for  Prussia  to 
have  war,  as  to  live  armed,  and  prepared  for  an  intermittent, 
Napoleonic  explosion. 

DIPLOMACY  AT  EMS. 

Mr.  George  W.  Ripley  of  the  New  York  Tribune,  and  with  Mr. 
Dana,  editor  of  the  American  Encyclopedia,  thus  writes  the  history  of  the 
meeting  between  the  French  ambassador,  Count  Benedetti,  and  King 
William,  at  Ems : 

I  make  a  simple  record  of  the  facts.  The  first  audience  took  place  on 
July  9,  at  the  request  of  Count  Benedetti.  It  was  demanded  by  him  that 
the  King  should  require  the  Prince  of  Iiohenzollern  to  withdraw  his  accept¬ 
ance  of  the  Spanish  crown.  The  King  replied  that,  as  in  the  whole  affair 
he  had  been  addressed  only  as  the  head  of  the  family,  and  never  as  the  King 
of  Prussia,  and  had  accordingly  given  no  command  for  the  acceptance  of 
the  candidature,  he  could  also  give  no  command  for  withdrawal.  On  the 
nth  bf  July  Count  Benedetti  requested  a  second  audience,  which  was 


2  G 


THE  E  RAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


granted.  In  this  interview  he  was  urgent  with  the  King  to  prevail  upon 
Prince  Leopold  to  renounce  the  crown.  The  King  replied  that  the  Prince 
was  perfectly  free  to  decide  for  himself,  and  that,  moreover,  he  did  not  even 
know  where  he  was  at  that  moment,  as  he  was  about  to  take  a  journey 
among  the  Alps.  On  the  morning  of  July  13,  the  King  met  Benedetti  on 
the  public  promenade  before  the  fountain,  and  gave  him  an  extra  sheet  of 
The  Cologne  Gazette,  which  he  had  just  received,  with  a  private  telegram 
from  Sigmaringen,  relating  the  withdrawal  of  the  Prince,  remarking  at  the 
same  time  that  he  himself  had  heard  nothing  from  Sigmaringen,  but  should 
expect  letters  that  day.  Count  Benedetti  replied  that  he  had  already  re¬ 
ceived  the  information  the  evening  before  from  Paris,  and,  as  the  King  re¬ 
garded  the  matter  as  thus  settled,  the  Count  wholly  unexpectedly  made  a 
new  demand,  proposing  to  the  King  that  he  should  expressly  pledge  him¬ 
self  never  to  give  his  consent  in  case  the  question  of  the  candidature  should 
at  any  subsequent  time  be  revived.  The  King  decidedly  refused  to  comply 
with  any  such  demand,  and  when  Benedetti  returned  to  his  proposal  with 
increasing  importunity,  stood  by  his  answer.  In  spite  of  this,  a  few  hours 
after,  the  Count  requested  a  third  audience.  Upon  being  asked  what  sub¬ 
ject  was  to  be  considered,  he  gave  for  answer  that  he  wished  to  renew  the 
discussion  of  the  morning.  The  King  declined  another  audience,  as  he  had 
no  answer  but  that  already  given,  and,  moreover,  all  negotiations  must  now 
take  place  through  the  Ministry.  Benedetti  requested  permission  to  take 
leave  of  the  King,  upon  his  departure  from  Ems,  which  was  so  far  granted 
that  the  King  bowed  to  him  as  the  latter  was  leaving  the  railway  station 
the  next  day  for  Coblenz.  Each  of  the  interviews  of  Benedetti  with  the 
King  had  the  character  of  a  private  conversation.  The  Count  did  not  once 
pretend  to  be  acting  in  his  official  capacity, 

In  the  preceding  statement,  which  is  sanctioned  by  the  King  himself,  no 
mention  is  made  of  the  rudeness  of  Benedetti  in  forcing  himself  upon  His 
Majesty  while  indulging  in  the  recreation  of  a  walk  on  the  crowded  prome¬ 
nade  of  Ems.  It  is  generally  regarded,  however,  as  a  studied  insult  on  the 
part  of  the  French  Minister,  and  is  commented  on  with  indignation  by  the 
German  press.  Such  a  violation  of  diplomatic  courtesy  could  hardly  have 
been  accidental.  Not  even  the  excitement  of  a  sudden  surprise  could  ex¬ 
cuse  the  incivility  ;  but  there  was  no  surprise  in  the  case  ;  the  Count  had 
received  the  news  the  night  before,  and  had  at  least  twelve  hours  to  meditate 
his  course  of  action.  The  affair  was  witnessed  with  astonishment  by  the 
numerous  spectators  of  the  scene,  who  drew  their  own  augury  of  its  proba¬ 
ble  consequences.  It  was  interpreted  as  a  sign  of  hostility  toward  Prussia, 
and  two  days  after  came  the  declaration  of  war. 

THE  COMIC  SIDE. 

In  spite  of  the  seriousness  of  the  occasion,  the  procedure  had  a  certain 
comic  side,  which  is  thus  described  by  an  eye-witness  :  “  On  Wednesday 

morning  the  King  was  taken  his  usual  walk  on  the  promenade,  among  the 
other  visitors  at  Ems,  in  the  company  of  two  or  three  gentlemen.  Hap¬ 
pening  to  turn  my  head,  I  saw  that  the  King  had  been  fastened  upon  by  a 
short,  fat  figure,  who  was  gesticulating  and  talking  with  the  utmost  anima¬ 
tion.  I  asked  the  bystanders  who  was  that  little  man  in  the  light-brown 
summer  dress,  with  his  hair  cut  close  to  the  head,  but  could  get  no  satis¬ 
faction.  His  liveliness  struck  me  as  very  strange,  it  formed  such  a  con- 


THURSDAY,  JULY  14. 


27 


trast  to  the  quiet  manners  of  the  King,  and  I  could  not  help  following  his 
movements  with  my  eye.  The  conversation  did  not  continue  much  longer ; 
the  King  spoke  a  few  words  mildly  to  the  little  Italian,  as  I  took  him  to  be, 
made  a  parting  motion  with  his  hand  and  his  hat,  and  pursued  his  way  to 
the  house  where  he  lodged.  The  little  man  snatched  off  his  hat  in  a  hurry, 
turned  on  his  heels,  and  feeling  in  his  breast-pocket,  drew  out  a  paper  which 
he  gave  to  one  of  the  gentlemen  that  accompanied  the  King.  And  this 
little  pepper-pot,  as  I  afterward  learned,  was  not  an  Italian,  but  a  Corsican, 
and  his  name  was  Benedetti.” 

The  final  communication  with  the  French  ambassador  was  through 
Trince  Radziwill,  an  adjutant  in  the  personal  suite  of  the  King,  who  has 
since  given  a  detailed  account  of  the  interview.  “  In  consequence  of  a 
conversation  with  Count  Benedetti  on  the  promenade,  on  the  morning  of 
July  13,”  says  he,  “  I  was  commanded  by  the  King,  about  two  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon,  to  take  the  following  message  to  the  Count  :  ‘  His  Majesty 

has  received  within  an  hour  a  written  communication  from  Prince  Hohen- 
zollern,  fully  confirming  the  intelligence  with  regard  to  the  withdrawal  of 
Prince  Leopold  from  the  Spanish  candidature,  which  the  Count  had  re¬ 
ceived  directly  from  Paris.  The  King  regards  this  as  a  final  settlement 
of  the  question.’  After  I  had  delivered  this  message  to  Count  Benedetti, 
he  replied  that  since  his  conversation  with  the  King  he  had  received  a  new 
despatch  from  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  in  which  he  was  instructed  to  request 
an  audience  of  the  King,  and  lay  before  him  once  more  the  wishes  eff  the 
French  Government.  1.  That  he  should  approve  the  withdrawal  of  Prince 
Hohenzollern.  2.  That  he  should  give  the  assurance  that  the  same  candi¬ 
dature  should  never  be  again  accepted  in  the  future.  Hereupon  His  Maj¬ 
esty  commanded  me  to  reply  to  the  Count,  that  he  approved  of  the  with¬ 
drawal  of  Prince  Leopold  in  the  same  sense  and  to  the  same  extent  as  he 
had  previously  approved  of  his  acceptance.  The  written  communication 
which  he  had  received  was  from  Prince  Anton  of  Hohenzollern  (father  of 
Leopold),  who  had  been  authorized  thereto  by  Prince  Leopold  himself.  In 
respect  to  the  second  point,  assurance  for  the  future,  His  Majesty  could 
only  refer  to  what  he  had  said  to  the  Count  in  the  morning.  Count  Bene¬ 
detti  received  this  reply  of  the  King  with  thanks,  and  said  that  he  would 
announce  it  to  his  Government,  as  he  was  authorized  to  do.  In  regard  to 
the  second  point,  however,  he  was  obliged,  by  the  express  instructions  in 
the  last  despatch  of  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  to  request  another  conversa¬ 
tion  with  the  King,  if  it  were  only  to  hear  a  repetition  of  the  same  words, 
especially  as  new  arguments  were  contained  in  the  last  despatch  which  he 
would  like  to  present  to  His  Majesty.  Upon  this,  at  about  half-past  5 
o’clock,  after  dinner,  the  King,  ordered  me  to  reply  for  the  third  time  to 
Count  Benedetti,  that  he  must  decidedly  decline  any  further  discussion  of 
the  last  point,  relating  to  a  guarantee  for  the  future.  What  he  had  said  in 
the  morning  was  his  final  word  on  that  subject,  and  he  could  only  refer  to 
that.  Upon  being  assured  that  the  arrival  of  Count  Bismarck  in  Ems  the 
next  day  was  not  certain,  Count  Benedetti  remarked  that  for  his  part  he 
would  content  himself  with  the  declaration  of  the  King.” 

THE  REFUSAL  WARMS  GERMANY. 

The  refusal  of  the  King  to  accept  the  humiliating  conditions  proposed  by 
the  French  Government,  has  called  forth  the  liveliest  approval  and  sympa- 


28 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  IVAR. 


thy  in  all  parts  of  Germany.  It  has  awakened  a  deep  feeling  of  affection 
for  his  person,  confidence  in  his  judgment,  and  devotion  to  his  interests, 
lie  is  now  identified,  not  only  with  the  rights  of  Prussia,  but  with  the 
cause  of  German  unity  and  the  defence  of  German  honor. 

THE  KING’S  TRIUMPHAL  PROGRESS. 

The  day  after  his  final  and  eventful  interview  with  Benedetti,  the  King 
left  Ems  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning  in  a  special  train  for  Berlin.  He 
took  leave  of  the  crowd  which  had  assembled  to  witness  his  departure,  with 
evident  emotion.  “  I  hope  to  see  you  all  once  more,”  said  he.  “  God  is  my 
witness  that  I  have  not  desired  war  ;  but  if  lam  forced  into  it,  I  will 
maintain  the  honor  of  Ger?nany  to  the  last  man.” 

His  journey  was  like  a  triumphal  progress.  The  heartfelt  greetings  with 
which  he  was  received  by  the  people  on  the  way,  indicate  the  sentiment  of 
the  whole  population.  Never  in  the  history  of  the  world  did  a  sovereign 
enjoy  such  enthusiastic  approval  from  his  subjects  for  an  official  act.  The 
feeling  is  spontaneous  and  universal.  Upon  his  arrival  at  Coblenz  he 
was  received  by  a  military  corps  called  the  “War  Union,”  with  music 
and  banners.  He  could  only  say,  “My  comrades,  I  rejoice  greatly  in  the 
surprise  which  you  have  prepared  for  me.” 

At  Cassel,  the  capital  of  the  new  Prussian  province  of  Hesse,  he  was 
welcomed  by  the  authorities  of  the  city,  and  a  large  concourse  of  people. 
In  a  brief  speech  he  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  finding  such  patriotic  senti¬ 
ments  in  the  new  capital,  and  continued  his  journey  amid  shouts  of  congrat¬ 
ulations.  He  arrived  in  Berlin,  or  rather  at  the  Potsdam  station,  about  9 
o’clock  in  the  evening.  The  streets  were  alive  with  throngs  of  people  who 
had  come  to  bid  him  welcome  home.  Every  spot  in  the  vicinity  was  full. 
Prussian  banners  and  German  flags  waved  from  all  the  windows.  Many  of 
the  houses  were  illuminated.  The  carriages  were  not  allowed  to  pass  in 
the  street,  but  were  drawn  up,  full  of  people,  in  long  lines  on  each  side. 
The  waiting-room  of  the  King  at  the  station  was  covered  with  banners, 
and  filled  with  garlands  and  wreaths  of  fresh  flowers.  Among  the  crowd 
were  many  military  officers  of  the  highest  rank,  the  civil  authorities  of  the 
city,  the  most  eminent  merchants  and  bankers,  and  a  host  of  ladies  in  full 
dress.  The  great  mass  of  the  population  of  Berlin  appeared  to  be  present, 
and  the  streets  were  so  completely  blocked  up  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  pass.  At  3  o’clock  the  Crown  Prince,  Count  Bismarck,  the  Minister  of 
War,  Gen.  Roon,  and  Gen.  Moltke,  had  gone  to  meet  the  King  at  Bran¬ 
denburg.  It  was  there  that  the  King  first  heard  of  the  declaration 
OF  WAR,  and  immediately  gave  orders  for  mobilizing  the  army.  The 
train  was  signalled  at  a  quarter  before  9,* and  entered  the  station  amid 
shouts  of  welcome.  As  the  King  left  the  carriage  he  gave  his  hand  to 
Field  Marshal  Wrangel,  who  imprinted  upon  it  a  reverent  kiss.  He  was 
deeply  moved  by  his  reception.  Advancing  slowly  along  the  platform,  he 
reached  his  hand  to  the  right  and  left,  bowing  to  the  multitude  as  he 
passed,  and  received  the  bouquets  which  were  showered  upon  him  by  the 
ladies.  He  was  now  greeted  by  the  representative  of  the  City  Government, 
who  pledged  himself  for  the  devotion  and  self-sacrifice  of  the  people.  The 
King  replied  in  a  few  words  of  good  cheer.  After  a  short  time,  the  King  got 
into  a  carriage,  with  the  Crown  Prince,  and  drove  from  the  station  amid 
thunders  of  applause.  The  whole  way  to  the  palace  was  one  act  of  horn- 


THURSDAY,  JULY  14. 


29 


age.  There  was  not  a  word  nor  a  look  of  anxiety  among  that  innumerable 
host.  Not  a  breath  betrayed  a  feeling  of  doubt.  Every  soul  was  inspired 
with  trust  in  God  and  a  good  cause.  All  was  confidence  and  congratula¬ 
tion,  if  not  joy.  As  the  carriage  approached  the  palace  the  pressure  be¬ 
came  so  great  that  even  the  stone  pillars  in  the  public  square  broke  as  if 
they  had  been  made  of  wood.  The  ceaseless  hftrras  roared,  like  a  hurri¬ 
cane,  around  the  place.  The  King  alighted  on  the  steps,  and  with  deep 
emotion  repeatedly  expressed  his  thanks.  He  could  scarcely  be  heard  for 
the  acclamations,  but  those  who  stood  nearest  to  him  caught  the  words : 
“  With  such  inspiration  of  my  people,  our  victory  is  secure;  we  may  look 
forward  to  the  future  without  fear.”  The  King  then  entered  the  palace, 
but  the  crowd  remained.  All  at  once,  the  national  hymn  began  to  ascend 
from  ten  thousand  voices.  The  people  stood  with  uncovered  heads.  A 
small  proportion  only  were  able  to  sing  ;  the  others  wept  from  excitement ; 
and  even  those  who  took  part  in  the  hymn  could  do  so  only  with  trembling 
voice  and  tearful  eye.  It  was  a  moment  of  sublime  transfiguration.  A 
little  before  1 1  o’clock,  Gen.  Moltke  made  his  appearance  in  the  square. 
He  was  received  with  a  storm  of  welcome,  and  the  people  could  hardly  be 
restrained  from  taking  him  on  their  shoulders  and  bearing  him  into  the 
palace.  At  length,  about  half  an  hour  before  midnight,  the  multitude  were  in¬ 
formed  that  the  King  had  still  many  heavy  tasks  to  attend  to,  and  begged 
them  to  retire.  “Home  !  Home  !”  was  at  once  the  universal  cry,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  the  vast  throng  had  disappeared,  and  left  not  a  soul  in  the 
spacious  square. 

In  other  parts  of  the  town  the  excitement  continued  till  nearly  morn¬ 
ing. 

AN  ADDRESS  TO  THE  KING. 

An  address  to  the  King  was  hastily  extemporized,  taken  to  the  nearest 
printing-office,  and  soon  distributed  among  the  people.  It  was  somewhat 
to  this  effect  :  “In  this  time  of  danger,  when  the  honor  of  Prussia,  of 
Germany,  is  boldly  outraged  by  French  audacity,  when  security  and  peace 
are  causelessly  and  criminally  threatened,  your  people  are  impelled  to  ex¬ 
press  their  unshaken  fidelity,  and  their  universal  enthusiasm  for  the 
fight.  As  in  1813-15,  around  your  Majesty’s  noble  father,  every  Prussian, 
with  blood  and  treasure,  will  now  stand  around  your  glorious  leaders  in 
the  war.  Only  one  thing  have  your  faithful  people  to  supplicate  of  Your 
Majesty  —  never  to  rest  until  this  French  arrogance  shall  be  humbled  for  all 
time,  and  Germany  restored  to  its  ancient  greatness.  Only  one  word  have 
we  to  speak:  With  God  for  King  and  Fatherland!  Hurrah!  Plurrah!” 
The  signatures  to  this  address  soon  amounted  to  many  thousands. 


EXCITING  SCENES  IN  PARIS. 

PARIS  WILD. 

Paris,  Thursday,  14th  (Evening). —  There  could  not  be 
a  more  exciting  day  in  Paris  than  this  14th  of  July,  the  anniver¬ 
sary  of  the  taking  of  the  Bastille.  Rmnors^of  war  prevailing 


30 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  USSTAN  WAR. 


.from  morning  to  night,  have  intensified  that  commercial  and 
financial  panic  from  which  there  was  yesterday  a  considerable 
recovery.  This  time  I  believe  the  alarm  to  be  too  well-founded. 
The  French  Government  —  i.e.  the  Emperor — is  be?it  upon 
war.  In  all  probability  war  will  be  declared  to-morrow ;  and 
within  a  month  France  will  either  have  conquered  the  left  bank 
of  the  Rhine,  or  the  Second  Empire  will  be  relegated  with  the 
First  to  the  limbo  of  things  that  were.  A  great  mistake  of 
several  French  papers  is  to  class  the  Duke  de  Gramont  with 
the  peace  party  in  the  Cabinet.  He  is  the..Emneror’s  chosen 
instrument  to  set  French  legions  in  motion  to  avenge  Sadowa, 
pursuant  to  a  plan  slowly  matured  betweenTiim  and  M.  de 
Beust  at  Vienna.  Ollivier,  whom  the  proud  Duke  yesterday 
publicly  insulted,  has  been  made  the  Emperor’s  dupe,  and  will 
certainly  be  driven  into  ignominious  retirement.  The  denial 
of  the  Constitutionnel  that  there  are  any  dissensions  in  the  Min¬ 
istry,  is  one  of  those  stereotyped  semi-official  paragraphs  not 
worth  a  moment’s  consideration.  A  great  point  has  been  made 
of  the  fact  of  the  two  Ministers  having  publicly  shaken  hands 
yesterday.  That  is  true ;  but  how  did  it  happen  ?  M.  Ollivier, 
on  taking  his  seat,  ostentatiously  proffered  his  hand  to  his  col¬ 
league.  The  latter  could  not  well  refuse  it ;  but  he  responded 
to  the  overture  with  marked  coldness,  and  ten  minutes  after¬ 
wards  astounded  the  Chamber  by  the  contemptuous  expression, 
referring  to  M.  Ollivier’s  conversation  with  some  deputies, 
which  put  the  funds  up  three  francs,  that  he  had  “nothing  to 
do  with  lobby  rumors.”  Last  night,  M.  Ollivier,  M.  Chevandier 
de  Valdrome,  and  M.  Maurice  Richard,  called  successively  at 
the  Foreign  Office  to  see  the  Duke  de  Gramont.  The  servant 
did  not  know  where  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  was.  His 
three  colleagues  kicked  their  heels  for  a  long  time  in  a  first-class 
ante-room,  and  then  went  to  look  for  him  in  vain,  at  the  house 
of  his  mother,  the  Duchess  de  Gramont.  Very  late  at  night 
they  found  that  he  had  been  at  St.  Cloud  in  consultation  with 
the  Emperor,  Marshal  Leboeuf,  and  Admiral  Rigault  de  Gen- 
ouilly.  It  is  all  a  joke  to  talk  of  the  Ollivier  Cabinet  as  a  “Par¬ 
liamentary  one.”  The  Ministers,  with  the  exception  of  such 
of  them  as  the  Emperor  chooses  to  take  into  his  confidence, 
and  with  whom  he  concocts  plans  behind  the  backs  of  the 
others,  do  not  know  from  one  hour  to  another  what  are  his 
Majesty’s  designs.  Ollivier  went  about  saying  that  France  had 
gained  a  grand  diplomatic  victory,  and  was  altogether  satisfied ; 
and  now  it  turns  out  that  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  by  the  Em- 


THURSDAY,  JULY  14. 


31 


peror’s  private  orders,  informed  Prussia  that  France  did  not 
consider  the  withdrawal  of  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern’s 
candidature  by  his  father,  the  “  Pore  Antoine,”  as  sufficient,  and 
that  the  King  of*Prussia,  harassed  by  France,  has  finally  de¬ 
clared  that  he  “  did  not  think  it  compatible  with  his  dignity  and 
honor  to  send  any  other  reply  than  he  had  done.” 

A  ministerial  circus  will  burst  to-morrow,  leaving  the  war 
party  alone  in  the  Emperor’s  councils.  To  day  at  noon  as  the 
declaration  was  nearly  settled  the  Emperor  received  a  despatch 
in  cipher  of  one  thousand  words  from  M.  Benedetti,  and  resolved 
to  take  it  to  St.  Cloud,  to  con  over  it  this  evening. 

The  telegram  comes  to-night  that  King  William  refused  to 
see  M.  Benedetti  when  he  last  asked  for  an  audience,  and  that 
the  French  envoy  has  demanded  his  passports. 

DOWN  WITH  PRUSSIA. 

There  has  been  an  extraordinary  scene  on  the  Boulevard 
des  Italiens.  The  little  Bourse  was  more  crowded  than  it  has 
ever  been  since  the  crisis.  There  was  a  wild  market  at  ten 
o’clock;  the  last  quotation  of  the  Rentes  at  four  was  67.20. 
The  pressure  was  such  as  to  render  it  almost  impossible  to  do 
business  to  any  extent.  But  for  at  least  an  hour,  without  inter¬ 
ruption,  the  Boulevard  resounded  with  loud  bowlings  for  war, 
which  to-morrow  the  French  press  will  call  “patriotic  cries.” 
People  stood  up  on  the  chairs  in  front  of  the  cafes,  and  frantic¬ 
ally  cried  at  the  full  strength  of  their  lungs,  “ Down  with  Prus¬ 
sia  !  ”  “  Hn  to  Berlin  !  ” 

I  record  the  fact,  that  among  this  people,  already  half-ruined 
by  the  mere  rumors  of  war,  and  whose  sufferings,  when  war  shall 
become  a  reality,  with  the  rapidity  which  it  does  in  these  days, 
are  appalling  to  think  of,  revelled,  with  a  demonstrativeness 
most  rare  in  the  streets  of  Paris,  in  hurrahs  for  the  coming 
bloodshed.  While  sadly  contemplating  this  scene,  the  mail 
brings  one  of  those  French  catch-penny  publications,  the  Paris 
Journal ,  from  which  I  extract  a  few  items  of  (so-called)  “Latest 
News.”  “  It  is  true,”  says  this  organ,  “  that  the  Emperor’s  war 
horses  have  been  sent  to  the  frontier ;  but  the  Empress,  who 
is  most  anxious  about  him  (small  blame  to  her),  sets  her  face 
against  the  idea  of  his  getting  on  horseback.”  I  should  think 
she  would.  The  notion  of  his  being  able  to  command  an  army 
in  person  in  the  field  is  a  ridiculous  mystification. 


32 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Half -past  ten.  —  The  Soir,  just  out,  opens  in  this  way:  “A 
public  affront  has  been  put  upon  our  ambassador.  There  is 
not  a  Frenchman  living  who  will  not  resent  the  insult.  All 
hearts  will  unite  to  require  and  obtain  ample  reparation.  The 
long  despatch  in  cipher  from  M.  Benedetti  is  not,  according  to 
our  information,  of  a  character  to  modify  the  situation.” 

M.  de  Werther,  the. Prussian  Minister,  called  upon  the  Duke 
de  Gxaniont  at  noon  to-day,  and  was  kept  waiting  till  six  in  the 
.evening  before  he  could  obtain  an  audience.  Such  are  diplo¬ 
matic  amenities  when  war  is  at  hand. 


ROCHEFORT  FROM  PRISON. 

M.  Rochefort,  who  for  many  weeks  has  been  rigorously  pre¬ 
vented  from  writing,  has  found  mean,  to  address  a  letter  to  his 
constituents,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract : 

“Dear  Electors,  — I  do  not  precisely  know  what  to  take  and  what 
to  leave  of  the  recent  Ministerial  fanfaronade,  but  if  I  had  been  in  my 
place  in  Parliament  when  the  warlike  declaration  of  the  Government  was 
made,  I  should  have  certainly  protested  against  the  tmjusti fable power  which 
the  Executive  takes  upon  itself  of  superadding  the  calamity  of  war  to  the 
famine  with  which  the  country  is  threatened.  The  dynastic  conflict  which 
now  produces  such  a  terrible  perturbation  is  in  itself  a  most  striking  con¬ 
demnation  of  the  monarchical  principle.  If,  instead  of  expelling  Spanish 
republican  refugees  from  French  territory,  the  Government  had  encouraged 
the  establishment  of  a  republic  in  Spain,  we  should  not  now  be  opposing  a 
king  whose  dethronement  will,  perhaps,  cost  torrents  of  blood  and  years 
of  misery.  Every  war  not  strictly  defensive  is  a  series  of  murders.  To 
restore  the  empire  of  Charles  V.  or  of  Napoleon  I.  are  seductive  dreams 
for  sovereigns ;  but  we,  who  know  what  sovereigns  cost  us,  know  also 
what  we  get  by  their  dreams.  This,  dear  electors,  is  what  I  should  have 
said,  or  rather  have  tried  to  have  said,  in  the  Corps  Legislatif;  for  my 
voice  would  probably  have  been  stifled,  as  usual,  by  the  laughter  and  cries 
of  the  majority,  which  sent  your  deputy  to  prison.  But  here,  as  elsewhere, 
I  address  myself  to  you,  who  look  to  another  future  for  people  than  their 
extermination,  and  who  know,  alas  !  the  full  value  of  those  crowned  phi¬ 
lanthropists  who  take  the  destruction  of  the  poor  for  the  extinction  of 
pauperism. 

“Henri  Rochefort. 

“  Ste.  Pelagie,  July  n,  1870.” 

Eleven  o'  clock,  P.  M.  —  Great  popular  excitement  prevails 
along  the  Boulevards,  from  the  Grand  Hotel  to  Porte  St.  Martin. 
A  column  of  seven  hundred  people  are  marching  in  the  middle 
of  the  roadway  singing  the  “Marseillaise,”  and  shouting  “  Vive 


FRIDAY,  JULY  15. 


33 


la  Guerre  l”  “A  bas  la  Prusse  1"  “A  has  Bismarck  /”  and  “A 
Bas  Berlin  !  ” 


Friday,  July  15.  —  France  declares  war  against  Prussia. 
The  French  Chambers  conceal  the  despatches  of  Benedetti 
from  the  Corps  Legislatif.  The  declaration  of  war  is  forced 

upon  the  peace  members,  through  a  Ministerial  deception. 

French  troops  pouring  towards  the  frontier.  Marshal  Mac- 
Mahon  recalled  from  Algeria  to  take  a  command.  Great  en¬ 
thusiasm  in  all  parts  of  France.  The  “  Marseillaise  ”  sung  in 
Paris  by  authority  of  the  Government,  the  first  time  in  eighteen 
years. 

Excitement  in  Berlin.  President  Grant  sends  a  message  to 
Congress,  asking  them  to  look  after  the  interests  of  American 
shipping.  Congress  adjourns  without  action.  President  Grant 
says  Napoleon  desires  an  extrinsic  policy,  to  kill  republicanism, 
and  that  the  war  will  be  a  benefit  to  America. 

IS  FRANCE  READY  ? 

Paris,  July  15. — The  Government  party  met  in  the  commit¬ 
tee  room  of  the  French  Chambers  this  morning  at  ten.  The 
following  conversation  occurred  in  regard  to  the  declaration 
of  war : 

M.  de  Keratry —  Marshal,  are  we  ready? 

Marshal  Leboeuf —  Entirely  ready. 

M.  de  Keratry —  You  give  us  your  word  of  honor?  Con¬ 
sider  what  a  crime  it  would  be  to  engage  France  in  war  without 
having  provided  for  every  possible  contingency. 

Leboeuf —  I  give  you  my  word  of  honor  that  we  are  com¬ 
pletely  prepared. 

M.  de  Cassagnac  —  One  word  more.  What  do  you  under¬ 
stand  by  these  words,  “  Being  ready  ”  ? 

M.  Leboeuf  (with  authority) —  I  understand  by  that  to  say 
that  if  the  war  should  last  a  year,  we  would  not  have  even  so 
much  as  a  button  to  buy. 


34 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


One  o'clock,  P.  II. —  The  French  Chambers  assembled  this  afternoon, 
when  a  communication  was  simultaneously  made  by  the  Government  to 
the  Senate  and  Corps  Legislatif,  explaining  the  situation  of  affairs,  and  ter¬ 
minating  by  a 

DECLARATION  OF  WAR 

against  Prussia. 

The  following  is  the  text  of  the  communication  drawn  up  at  the  Council 
of  Ministers  held  yesterday,  and  read  this  afternoon  in  the  Corps  Legisla¬ 
te  by  M.  Ollivier : 


“  We  believe  we  can  count  upon  your  support.  We  commenced  on  the 
6th  negotiations  with  foreign  powers  to  invoke  their  good  offices  with 
Prussia.  We  asked  nothing  of  Spain.  We  took  no  steps  with  the  Prince 
of  Hohenzollern,  considering  him  shielded  by  the  King  of  Prussia. 

“  The  majority  of  the  powers  admitted,  with  more  or  less  warmth,  the 
justice  of  our  demands.  The  Prussian  Minister  of  Foreign  ^.ffairs  refused 
to  accede  to  our  demands,  pretending  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the  affair, 
and  that  the  Cabinet  of  Berlin  remained  completely  foreign  to  it.  We 
then  addressed  ourselves  to  the  King  himself,  and  the  King,  whilst  avow¬ 
ing  that  he  had  authorized  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  to  accept  the  candi¬ 
dature  to  the  Spanish  crown,  maintained  that  he  had  also  been  foreign  to 
the  negotiations,  and  that  he  had  intervened  between  the  Prince  of  Plohen- 
zollern  and  Spain,  as  head  of  the  family,  and  not  as  sovereign.  He  ac¬ 
knowledged,  however,  that  he  had  communicated  the  affair  to  Count  Bis¬ 
marck.  We  could  not  admit  this  subtle  distinction  between  the  chief  of 
the  family  and  the  sovereign.  In  the  meanwhile  we  received  an  intimation 
from  the  Spanish  ambassador  that  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  had  re¬ 
nounced  the  crown.  We  asked  the  King  to  associate  himself  with  this 
renunciation,  and  we  asked  him  to  engage  that  should  the  crown  be  again 
offered  to  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern,  he  would  refuse  his  authorization. 
Our  moderate  demand,  couched  in  equally  moderate  language,  written  to 
M.  Benedetti,  made  it  clear  that  we  had  no  arriere  penske,  and  that  we 
were  not  seeking  a  pretext  in  the  Hohenzollern  affair.  The  engagement 
demanded  the  King  refused  to  give,  and  terminated  the  conversation  with 
M.  Benedetti  by  saying  that  he  would  in  this,  as  in  all  other  things,  re¬ 
serve  to  himself  the  right  of  considering  the  circumstances.  Notwithstand¬ 
ing  that,  in  consequence  of  our  desire  for  peace,  we  did  not  break  off  the 
negotiations.  Our  surprise  was  great  when  we  learned  that  the  King  had 
refused  to  receive  M.  Benedetti,  and  had  communicated  the  fact  officially 
to  the  Cabinet.  Baron  Werther  had  received  orders  to  take  his  leave,  and 
Prussia  was  arming.  Under  these  circumstances  we  should  have  forgotten 
our  dignity  and  also  our  prudence  had  we  not  made  preparations.  We  have 
prepared  to  maintain  the  war  which  is  offered  to  us,  leaving  to  each  that 
portion  of  the  responsibility  which  devolves  upon  him.  (Enthusiastic  and 
prolonged  applause.)  Since  yesterday  we  have  called  out  the  reserve,  and 
we  shall  take  the  necessary  measures  to  guard  the  interests,  and  the  secur¬ 
ity,  and  the  honor  of  France.” 


FRIDAY ,  JULY  15. 


35 


DECLARATION  OF  WAR  BY  THE  COUNCIL  OF  MINISTERS. 

To  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  : 

The  Government  of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French 
being  unable  to  view  the  project  of  placing  a  Prussian  Prince 
on  the  Spanish  throne  otherwise  than  as  an  action  directed 
against  the  security  of  the  territories  of  France,  found  itself 
obliged  to  demand  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  the  as¬ 
surance  that  such  a  combination  could  not  be  realized  with  his 
consent.  His  Majesty  having  refused  to  give  any  such  guar¬ 
antee,  and  having,  on  the  contrary,  declared  to  the  ambassador 
of  his  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French  that  he  intends  to 
reserve  to  himself  for  that  eventuality,  as  for  any  other,  the 
right  to  be  guided  by  circumstances,  the  Imperial  Government 
has  been  forced  to  see  in  this  declaration  of  the  King  an  arrierc 
pensee ,  menacing  in  like  manner  to  France  and  the  European 
equilibrium.  This  declaration  has  been  rendered  worse  by  the 
communication  made  to  the  different  Cabinets  of  the  King’s 
refusal  to  receive  the  ambassador  of  the  Emperor,  and  to  enter 
into  any  further  explanations  with  him.  In  consequence  here¬ 
of,  the  French  Government  has  thought  it  its  duty  to  take  im¬ 
mediate  steps  for  the  defence  of  its  honor  and  its  injured  inter¬ 
ests,  and  has  resolved  to  adopt,  for  this  object,  all  measures 
which  the  situation  in  which  it  has  been  placed  renders  neces¬ 
sary.  It  considers  itself  from  this  moment  in  a  state  of  war 
against  Prussia. 

The  undersigned  has  the  honor  to  be,  your  Excellency’s, 
etc.,  etc. 

Signed  by  the  Council  of  Ministers. 

An  animated  discussion  followed  the  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  War, 
in  which  M.  Thiers,  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  M.  Jules  Favre,  and  M.  de 
Keratry  took  part.  M.  Jules  Favre  called  upon  the  Government  to  com¬ 
municate  the  documents  which  passed  during  the  negotiations,  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  Prussian  despatch  addressed  to  foreign  Governments,  admitting 
the  refusal  of  the  King  of  Prussia  to  receive  M.  Benedetti.  M.  Bullet 
opposed  the  demand  for  papers,  and  M.  Jules  Favre’s  motion  was  rejected 
by  164  votes  against  83. 

PRUSSIA  CHARGES  FALSEHOOD. 

Berlin,  July  15.  — It  is  authoritatively  stated  that  the  Prussian  cir¬ 
cular  note,  which  M.  Ollivier  refused  to  read  in  the  Legislative  Body, 


36 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


does  not  exist  as  a  note,  being  merely  the  transcript  of  a  telegram  that  ap¬ 
peared  in  the  newspapers,  and  stating  literally:  “After  the  official  an¬ 
nouncement  made  to  the  French  Government  on  the  part  of  the  Spanish 
Government  respecting  the  renunciation  of  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern,  M. 
Benedetti  had  demanded  further  from  the  King  authorization  to  telegraph 
to  Paris,  that  his  Majesty  bound  himself  never  to  permit  for  the  future  that 
the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  should  become  a  candidate  for  the  Spanish 
throne.  The  King  thereupon  declined  to  receive  the  French  ambassador 
again,  and  sent  him  word  by  an  orderly  on  duty  that  he  had  nothing  further 
to  communicate  to  him.”  The  above  telegram  was  communicated  to  the 
German  Government  and  to  the  North  German  Ministers  at  some  non-Ger¬ 
man  courts  for  their  information,  exactly  in  the  very  same  words  in  which  it 
was  published  by  the  newspapers,  and  merely  as  a  statement  of  the  nature 
of  the  French  demands,  and  of  the  firm  resolution  of  the  King  not  to  yield 
to  them. 

Therefore,  it  is  added,  the  refusal  of  M.  Ollivier  to  communicate  the 
text  of  the  alleged  note  to  the  House  is  easily  understood,  because  other¬ 
wise  the  French  Deputies  would  have  discovered  the  frivolous  deception 
which  had  been  practised  upon  them. 

Paris,  July  15.  —  In  the  Corps  Legislatif  to-day,  Marshal 
Leboeuf  presented  a  bill  calling  out  the  whole  of  the  Garde 
Mobile. 

DIPLOMATIC  FALSEHOOD. 

Paris,  July  15  ( Evening ).  —  War  has  been  declared  on 
garbled  telegraphic  despatches  from  a  French  Minister  smarting 
under  a  personal  rebuke.  The  Government  is  ashamed  to 
show  the  feeble  documents  on  which  war  has  been  declared. 
Gramont,  as  a  servant  of  the  Emperor,  conceals  the  de¬ 
spatches,  and  Ollivier  evades  the  questions  of  Gambetta. 

In  the  Corps  Legislatif,  M.  Gambetta  urged  the  Government  to  com¬ 
municate  to  the  House  not  only  the  despatches  from  the  diplomatic 
agents  of  France  on  the  Franco-Prussian  difficulty,  but  also  the  insulting 
Prussian  note,  and  especially  the  circular  sent  by  Count  Bismarck  to  all 
the  European  Cabinets. 

The  Duke  de  Gramont  said  the  note  had  been  shown  to  the  Committee 


FRIDAY,  JULY  15. 


37 


of  the  House,  and  requested  the  Chamber  to  remain  satisfied  with  that  par¬ 
tial  communication. 

The  Left  insisted  upon  the  note  being  laid  before  the  House,  and  great 
excitement  prevailed. 

M.  Gambetta  asked  if  the  note  had  really  been  communicated  to  the 
European  Cabinets,  and  concluded  by  stating  that  if  this  despatch  was  of  a 
serious  nature,  it  ought  to  be  laid  not  only  before  the  Chamber,  but  before 
the  whole  country,  in  order  that  the  war  might  be  a  really  national  war. 

M.  Ollivier  said —  I  am  surprised  that  it  should  be  so  difficult  to  make  a 
question  of  honor  understood  by  a  certain  side  of  the  House.  A  striking 
and  incontestable  fact  exists,  in  presence  of  which  no  text  is  necessary. 
We  received  this  note  from  all  our  diplomatic  agents. 

Several  members  of  the  Left  exclaimed,  “  Give  the  text,  then  !  ” 

M.  Ollivier  resumed,  and  implored  the  Chamber  to  close  the  discussion, 
on  the  ground  of  its  being  inopportune. 

M.  Grevy  endeavored  to  speak,  but  the  close  of  the  debate  was  or¬ 
dered. 

Paris,  July  15  [Evening).  — During  the  debate  following  the  declara¬ 
tion  of  M.  Ollivier,  the  Duke  de  Gramont  addressed  the.  blouse :  “  If 

we  had  delayed  longer,  we  should  have  given  time  to  Prussia  to  complete 
her  armaments.  For  the  rest,  one  fact  will  suffice.  The  Prussian  Cabi¬ 
net  has  informed  all  Governments  that  it  refused  to  receive  our  ambassador 
whilst  the  negotiations  were  still  proceeding.  If  in  my  country  a  Cham¬ 
ber  should  be  found  who  would  suffer  this,  then  I  would  not  for  five  min¬ 
utes  remain  a  Minister.”  After  the  statement  of  M.  Ollivier,  the  Ministry 
presented  bills  demanding  a  credit  of  fifty  millions  of  francs  for  the  war 
budget  and  sixteen  millions  of  francs  for  the  naval  requirements.  Another 
sitting  will  take  place  to-night  at  8  P.  M.  In  the  Senate  the  Duke  de 
Gramont  made  a  similar  declaration  to  that  of  M.  Ollivier  in  the  Corps 
Legislatif,  and  he  was  received  with  most  enthusiastic  manifestations. 

There  was  a  late  sitting  of  the  French  Chamber,  which  commenced  at 
half-past  nine.  Count  Talhouet,  the  reporter  of  the  Commission  upon  the 
credit  demanded  by  the  Government,  urged  that  the  Bills  presented  on  the 
subject  should  be  passed  at  once,  as  an  expression  of  the  national  wishes. 
An  attempt  was  made  by  M.  Gambetta  to  retard  the  progress  of  the  Bills, 
on  the  ground  that  the  necessary  documents  had  tiot  been  laid  before  the 
members,  and  that  the  Government  was  desirous  of  making  the  Chamber 
responsible  for  the  war,  without  sufficiently  justifying  the  motives  which 


38 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


had  caused  it  to  be  undertaken.  M.  Ollivier  said,  however,  that  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  would  take  upon  itself  the  responsibility. 

Count  Talhouet  said  the  Commission  unanimously  recommends  to  vote 
the  Bills  presented  by  the  Government,  as  an  expression  of  the  national 
wishes.  This  declaration  was  followed  by  prolonged  applause.  -M.  Mon- 
peyroux  rose  to  support  the  credit  demanded,  and  said  the  Chamber  is  im¬ 
patient,  and  will  at  once  vote  the  credit.  In  conclusion,  the  speaker  said  : 
“The  war  is  a  necessity,  to  repress  the  reckless  ambition  of  Prussia, 
and  to  bring  about  a  normal  state  in  Europe.”  M.  Gambetta  invited  the 
Chamber  calmly  and  coolly  to  deliberate,  and  pointed  out  that  the  present 
policy  of  France  differed  from  that  followed  by  the  Emperor  in  1866.  He 
spoke  of  the  responsibility  of  the  vote  which  he  said  the  Cabinet  were 
throwing  upon  the  Chamber.  He  acknowledged  the  necessity  of  saving 
the  country,  but  desired  that  all  the  documents  should  fje  laid  before  the 
Chamber,  which  could  thereby  come  to  a  decision.  The  Government  was 
desirous  of  making  the  Corps  Legislatif  responsible  for  the  war,  but  they 
had  not  sufficiently  justified  the  motives  which  had  dictated  their  resolu¬ 
tion.  M.  Ollivier  (interrupting  the  speaker)  said:  “We  take  upon  our¬ 
selves  this  responsibility.”  M.  Gambetta  then  pointed  out  that  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  had  made  two  contradictory  assertions.  After  vain  attempts  on 
the  part  of  M.  Pelletan  to  address  the  House,  a  credit  of  fifty  million,s  was 
voted  by  two  hundred  and  forty-six  votes  against  ten  ;  a  credit  of  sixteen 
millions  for  naval  purposes  was  also  voted  by  two  hundred  and  forty-eight 
votes  against  one.  A  motion  to  call  out  the  Garde  Mobile  to  actual  service 
was  adopted  by  two  hundred  and  forty-three  votes  against  one.  Another 
motion,  authorizing  the  enlistment  of  volunteers  for  the  duration  of  the 
war,  was  adopted  by  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  votes  against  one.  Af¬ 
ter  this  the  House  rose. 

WAR. 

On  leaving  the  Luxembourg,  the  Senators  were  surrounded  by  a  crowd 
of  students  and  others,  shouting,  “  Vive  l’Empereur,”  “  Vive  la  Guerre,” 

‘  ‘  A  bas  la  Prusse.  ”  M.  Ollivier  was  enthusiastically  received  by  an  immense 
majority  of  the  Deputies,  and  by  the  crowd  assembled  outside.  Manifesta¬ 
tions  in  favor  of  war  were  made  at  the  Bourse  this  afternoon.  Hostile 
manifestations  were  made  before  the  residence  of  Baron  Werther,  the 
Prussian  ambassador,  and  warlike  cries  were  raised.  Yesterday  evening 
Baron  Werther  informed  the  Duke  de  Gramont  that  he  should  leave  Paris 
to-day  on  leave. 

M.  Benedetti  arrived  in  Paris  this  morning,  and  was  present  at  the  sitting 


FRIDAY,  JULY  15. 


39 


of  the  Corps  Legislatif.  Herr  von  Werther  left  Paris  to-day.  Previous  to 
his  departure,  the  secretary  of  the  Duke  de  Gramont  expressed  the  regret 
of  the  Government  at  the  hostile  manifestation  which  occurred  last  night  at 
the  Prussian  embassy. 

The  Temps,  Debats,  and  Steele  are  silent  respecting  the  declaration  of 
war.  The  great  majority  of  the  papers  regard  war  as  the  only  means  of 
replying  to  the  affront  received  by  M.  Benedetti.  It  is  stated  that  the 
Emperor  signed  the  declaration  of  war  yesterday  afternoon.  It  is  be¬ 
lieved  that  the  Emperor  will  assume  the  chief  command  of  the  army,  with 
Marshals  Bazaine  and  MacMahon  as  subordinates. 

The  Constitution-net  publishes  an  extraordinary  edition  this  afternoon, 
with  an  article  signed  by  M.  Mitchell,  announcing  the  declaration  of  war. 
The  article  says  that  the  King  of  Prussia  has  brutally  attacked  the  slum¬ 
bering  recollections  of  1814,  and  concludes  as  follows:  “  Prussia  insults  us; 
let  us  cross  the  Rhine.  The  soldiers  of  Jena  are  ready.” 

Paris,  Midnight.  — jThere  is  intense  excitement  to-night. 
A  city  is  mad,  and  ready  for  war  Blood  !  is  the  cry.  Peace 
men  are  insulted.  War,  war,  war  !  The  great  boulevards  are 
thronged  by  vast  surging  crowds,  and  warlike  cries  and  snatch¬ 
es  of  the  “  Marseillaise,”  the  “  Chant  du  Depart,”  and  “  Mourir 
pour  la  Patrie,”  are  resounding  on  all  sides.  Numerous 
bands  of  people  are  traversing  the  streets,  some  headed  by 
tricolor  flags,  enthusiastically  singing  and  shouting.  The  na¬ 
tional  spirit  would  appear  to  be  fully  roused,  and  there  is  every 
indication  that  the  war  with  Prussia  will  be  extremely  popular. 
A  sultry,  yellowish  fog  hangs  over  Paris  this  evening,  giving  a 
murky  and  sombre  appearance  to  the  streets.  “  Mamma,” 
said  a  child,  “  the  people  outside  cry,  ‘  Vive  la  Guerre  ;  ’  but 
that  is  a  betise,  because  guerre  means  killing,  and  vive  means 
living.  How  can  you  say,  ‘  Live  Death  ?  ’  ”  Is  it  out  of  the 
mouth  of  this  “  babe  and  suckling  ”  that  the  philosophy  of  the 
twentieth  century  is  foreshadowed  ? 


THE  DECLARATION  OF  WAR  IN  BERLIN. 

Berlin,  July  15. — The  news  of  the  declaration  of  war, 
which  took  place  at  Paris  at  2.2  o’clock  this  afternoon,  in  the 
Legislative  Body,  has  reached  Berlin. 

It  is  received  with  fearful  solemnity.  Every  cheek  burns 
with  suppressed  indignation.  There  is  resolution  too. 

The  King  will  arrive  at  8.40.  A  considerable  crowd  has 


40 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


gathered  before  the  terminus,  and  inside.  The  terminus  is 
decorated,  and  many  houses  are  displaying  flags. 

The  King  left  Eras  this  morning.  Count  Bismarck  anxiously 
awaits  his  arrival. 

The  excitement  becomes  intense.  Flags  wave  from  the  win¬ 
dows.  Unter  den  Linden  and  Frederick  streets  are  filled  with 
seething  crowds. 

Evening.  —  The  King  has  arrived. 

The  municipal  authorities  and  all  the  staff  officers  in  town 
received  the  Royal  cortege  on  the  platform.  When  the  royal 
carriage  stopped,  the  King,  the  Crown  Prince,  and  Counts  Bis¬ 
marck  and  Moltke,  who  had  gone  to  meet  the  King  at  Branden¬ 
burg,  forty  miles  from  Berlin,  to  inform  him  of  the  declaration  of 
war,  alighted.  The  Crown  Prince  at  once  addressed  the  public, 
and  told  them  that  war  was  declared.  The  news  was  received 
with  continued  shouts  by  the  public  on  the  platform.  The  salute 
of  the  municipal  authorities  having  taken  place,  and  the  King 
having  replied,  they  mounted  their  carriages,  amidst  the  hurrahs 
of  the  multitude  on  the  square  before  the  terminus.  There  can 
be  no  doubt,  the  war  henceforward  will  be  popular  in  this  coun¬ 
try,  and  this  means  much.  |t  means  that  everybody  . will  act, 
and  make  sacrifices  for  the  country.  It  will  be  war  to  the 
knife,  ^'he  mobilization  of  the  whole  army  was  announced  by 
the  Crown  Pnnce. 

WAR. 

The  order  of  mobilization  will  be  published  to-night  by  placards  and 
handbills,  as  is  the  custom  here  in  time  of  war,  and  it  will  embrace  the 
whole  North  German  army  at  once.  The  plan  of  the  campaign  is 
openly  spoken  of,  even  by  such  as  really  ought  to  know  something  of  it. 
But  this  is  always  the  case  here,  and  can  hardly  be  otherwise,  where  the 
voluntary  co-operation  of  the  whole  people  is  expected.  It  consists  in  a 
simultaneous  advance  of  the  whole  army,  without  the  reserves,  towards  the 
Trench  frontier.  The  four  main  railroads  leading  from  the  Elbe  to  the 
Rhine  will  then  be  altogether  stopped  for  private  traffic  during  the  days 
designed  for  the  conveyance  of  troops.  It  is  supposed  that  each  of  these 
railways  can  convey  20,000  soldiers  a  day.  The  locomotives  and  wagons 
returning  next  day,  20,000  again  may  be  conveyed  on  the  same  railway  the 
third  day,  when  they  will  have  collected  at  the  stations  in  the  East,  or  will 
have  been  echeloned  along  the  line.  Thus  the  240,000  men  of  the  North 
German  army,  now  in  garrisons  east  of  the  Rhine,  will  be  on  the  banks  of 
that  river  the  fifth  day  after  the  commencement  of  the  movement.  The  re¬ 
serves  will  follow  as  they  come  in,  which,  in  Prussia,  is  very  quickly.  The 
landwehr,  this  time  not  destined  to  act  on  the  aggressive,  will  fill  up  the  gar¬ 
risons.  Thus  the  advance  from  the  Rhine,  which  will  be  crossed  at  Co¬ 
logne,  Coblenz,  and  Mayence  by  the  permanent  railway  bridges,  will  be 
made  with  30,000  men  complete,  followed  by  100,000,  who  will  gradually 


FRIDAY,  JULY  15. 


41 


fall  in  with  their  cadres.  The  advance  will  be  concentric  upon  Paris,  unhes¬ 
itating  and  unceasing,  until  the  French  are  met.  Neither  an  attack  from 
the  sea,  nor  a  French  diversion  in  South  Germany,  will  be  heeded. 

Eleven ,  P.M. — Amazement  has  changed  to  joy.  A  whole  city  is 
intoxicated  with  gladness.  Crowds  go  singing  war  songs,  arm  in  arm,  down 
the  streets.  Some  shout,  some  laugh,  and  some  indulge  in  witticisms.  One 
man  takes  another  by  the  throat,  and  cries  :  “  My  neighbor’s  daughter 

loves  your  nephew.  He  will  h'ave  nothing  to  do  with  her  ;  but  if  you  do 
not  declare  that  he  never  shall  marry  her,  I  will  knock  you  down.”  One 
harangues  the  public  from  a  form  :  “  Ladies  and  gentlemen,”  he  says,  “you 
are  quite  in  the  dark  about  what  the  F rench  want.  Are  you  not  ?  I  can 
tell  it  you  in  confidence.  I  have  sown  my  wild  oats  in  Paris.  They  them¬ 
selves  want  a  Hohenzollern.  They  grudge  the  Spaniards  and  us  our  good 
luck.  And  why  should  they  not  get  a  Hohenzollern  ?  If  that  favor  has 
been  bestowed  upon  the  Roumanians  to  bring  them  peacefully  to  reason, 
why  not  bestow  it  upon  the  French?” 

AMERICA. 

THE  PRESIDENT  SENDS  A  MESSAGE  TO  CONGRESS. 

Washington,  July  15. — The  President  sent  a  message  to  Congress 
to-day,  calling  attention  to  the  imminence  of  war  in  Europe,  which,  he  says, 
indicates  the  necessity  of  legislation  tending  to  increase  the  commercial  ma¬ 
rine  of  the  United  States,  which  is  at  present  inadequate  to  meet  the  de¬ 
mands  the  war  in  Europe  will  impose.  The  President  supposes  that  the 
opportunity  should  be  afforded  American  citizens  to  purchase  foreign-built 
vessels.  The  foreign  mail  service  is  dependent  in  a  large  degree  on  the  Bre¬ 
men  and  Hamburg  lines  of  steamers  :  if  these  steamers  should  be  in  any  way 
blockaded  by  the  French,  great  embarrassment  to  the  postal  service  must 
ensue.  The  President  recommended  that  Congress  should  postpone  its  ad¬ 
journment  until  the  exigency  has  been  provided  for.  The  House  of  Rep¬ 
resentatives  has  refused  action  on  the  message,  and  adjourned  to-day  at  five 
o’clock.  A  despatch  announcing  the  declaration  of  war  between  France 
and  Prussia  was  read  to-day  in  the  House  of  Representatives  by  the  Speaker, 
which  many  of  the  members  applauded. 

Washington,  yuly  15  ( Evening .)  —  Both  Houses  have  adjourned 
4  without  legislation  upon  the  merchant  marine,  as  recommended  by  Presi¬ 
dent  Grant.  An  opportunity  to  rebuild  American  shipping,  destroyed  by 
the  late  civil  war,  is  lost.  The  President  expresses  great  regret  at  the  hasty 
adjournment. 


42 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  JVAR. 


WAR  DECLARED. 

And  so,  blindly,  on  a  telegraphic  despatch  from  a  mad  di¬ 
plomat  smarting  under  a  personal  affront,  a  Council  of  Minis¬ 
ters  declares  war. 

Without  even  these  storm-garbled  telegrams,  a  corps  diplo¬ 
matique  is  dragged  into  sanctioning  a  declaration  —  yes,  sanc¬ 
tioning  a  war  which  may  yet  drench  nations  in  blood. 

What  a  responsibility  rests  to-night  upon  the  heads  of 
Benedetti,  Gramont,  and  Napoleon  III ! 

THE  IMPERIAL  LIE. 

CJESARISM  IS  NOT  PEACE. 

“The  Empire  is  peace  ”  is  the  Imperial  lie  which  came  with 
Csesarism,  but  which  will  die  at  Saarbriick.  Csesarism  means 
big-dog-ism.  It  means  France  is  too  strong  to  be  defeated. 
It  means  the  impious  “  God  is  on  the  side  of  the  strongest  bat¬ 
talions”  of  Napoleon  I.  The  Empire  made  Magenta,  Sebas¬ 
topol,  Sadowa,  and  will  make  Sedan  —  bloody  battle-fields  !  It 
has  kept  a  million  French  and  Prussian  soldiers  in  the  field  for 
seventeen  years,  and  now  it  drenches  Europe  in  blood,  that  the 
damnable  lie  may  live.  The  first  gun  at  Saarbriick  will  be  the 
death-knell  of  lying  Cassarism  and  the  empire  of  Napoleon  III. 

WHO  MADE  THE  WAR? 

Napoleon  III.  says  the  Ilohenzollern  —  that  a  feeble  scion  of  decayed 
royalty,  struggling  to  sit  upon  a  tottering  Spanish  throne,  made  the  French 
Emperor  go  to  war.  This  was  not  the  cause.  Caesarism  and  the  ambition 
of  Napoleon  III.  are  the  true  causes,  and  the  Hohenzollern  only  the  oppor¬ 
tunity.  France  herself  has  not  gone  to  war.  Napoleon  III.  plunged  the 
Empire  into  the  bloody  struggle,  dragging  in  the  nation. 

Wars  are  always  popular.  Saarbriick  and  Sedan  will  threaten  the  na¬ 
tional  existence,  and  France,  nolens  volens,  will  espouse  the  lie  of  Napo¬ 
leon.  Even  Rochefort,  as  much  as  he  hates  Napoleon,  will  be  silent  when 
French  blood  begins  to  drip  at  Saarbriick.  There  were  thousands  in  our 
country  opposed  to  the  Mexican  war,  but  Vera  Cruz  made  them  silent. 
Governor  Seymour  said  war  !  after  Gettysburg. 


SATURDAY,  JULY  i 6. 


43 


SAID  PRESIDENT  GRANT 

to  the  author  (published  in  The  San ,  August  6th) : 

“  Napoleon  makes  this  war,  because,  as  he  said  to  the  Mayor  of  Rouen  in  1866, 1  he  hates 
the  treaty  of  1815,’  and  to  kill  Rochefortism  at  home.  France  was  prostrated  by  Waterloo, 
when  the  Ghent  treaty  confirmed  the  Rhine  country  to  Prussia.  This  south  bank  of  the 
Rhine  is  what  Napoleon  is  fighting  for,  while  Prussia  is  fighting  for  Bismarck’s  great  idea 
of  a  North-German  confederation.”  * 

“Then  Napoleon  needs  an  extrinsic  policy  to  kill  Republicanism  at  home.” 

“Yes,”  said  the  President  enthusiastically,  “Napoleon  III.  needs  what  Alexander  H. 
Stephens  suggested  to  President  Lincoln  and  Mr.  Seward,  when  they  thought  of  patching 
up  a  truce  at  Hampton  Roads,  in  1862  —  an  extrinsic  policy  to  unite  everybody  on. 
England  knew  what  Stephens’  extrinsic  policy  meant,  for  Seward’s  despatches 
made  them  open  their  eyes.  It  meant  North  and  South  join  against  Canada.  It  took 
diplomacy  to  get  this  extrinsic  idea  out  of  Stephens  and  Jeff.;  so  it  took  diplomacy 
to  get  the  French  signature  to  the  secret  treaty  which  would  enable  Napoleon  to 
gobble  up  Saarbriick  and  Landau,  and  restore  Luxemburg  to  the  French.  But  it  took 
greater  diplomacy  to  reject  it.  Bismarck  did  it,  and  he  now  hands  the  rejected  proposi¬ 
tion  over  to  the  other  powers,  as  Seward  handed  over  Stephens’  Canada  policy  to  Eng¬ 
land.  The  defeat  of  King  William  is  the  squelching  of  Belgium.” 

Author  —  “Americans  generally  sympathize  with  Prussia?” 

General  Grant  —  “  Yes,  I  don’t  know  but  what  we  do.  Our  sympathy  is  the  result 
of  commerce,  German  emigration,  and  because  the  Germans  took  our  bonds  and  stood 
WITH  US  DURING  THE  WAR. 

France  didn’t.  King  William  and  Bismarck  sent  three  telegrams  of  congratulation  to 
us.  Not  one  came  from  Napoleon,  who,  on  the  contrary,  was  attacking  us  in  Mexico. 
Seward  let  him  attack,  because  his  army  was  all  the  time  eating  up  the  beef  and  tanning 
the  hides  which  otherwise  would  have  gotten  into  the  rebel  army.  In  fact,  Maximilian 
was  a  sort  of  provision  destroyer  in  Mexico.  If  we  go  back  of  the  last  war,  there  is  no 
reason  why  we  shouldn’t  sympathize  with  France.  She  sent  us  troops,  and  Lafayette  came 
to  help  us,  while  the  Prince  of  Hesse  hired  out  the  Hessians  to  Great  Britain. 

Saturday,  July  16.  —  German  troops  massing  on  the 
Saar  and  on  the  Rhine  rivers.  Bavaria,  Baden,  and  Wiirtem- 
berg  summoned  by  France  to  state  what  course  they  intend 
pursuing.  Twenty-four  hours  given  for  a  reply. 


sia  taken  by  surprise.  The  Prussians  appear  on  French  terri- 
tory.  The  French  peace  newspapers  support  the  war.  The 

*  “  You  cannot  but  feel  a  pride,  Count  Bismarck,  in  having  contributed  so  largely  to  the 
winning  of  to-day’s  victory,”  said  a  gentleman  standing  with  General  Sheridan  to  Count 
Bismarck  on  the  battle-field  of  Sedan. 

“  Oh  !  no,  my  dear  sir,”  was  the  mild  answer  ;  “  I  am  no  strategist,  and  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  winning  of  battles.  What  I  am  proud  of  is,  that  the  Bavarians,  the  Saxons, 
and  the  Wurtembergers  have  not  only  been  on  our  side,  but  have  had  so  large  a  share 
—  the  largest  share  —  in  the  glory  of  the  day  ;  that  they  are  with  us,  and  not  against 
us.  That  is  my  doing.  I  don’t  think  the  French  will  say  now  that  the  South  Germans 
will  not  fight  for  our  common  Fatherland.” 


44 


THE  FRAN  CO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Duke  de  Gramont  demands  an  autograph  letter  of  apology 
from  King  William  to  Napoleon.  Bavaria  decides  officially 
with  Prussia.  King  William  speaks  in  Hamburg.  United 
Germany  enthusiastic  for  war.  President  Grant  calls  the  war 
a  “blessing  to  America.’' 


FRANKFORT  FOR  GERMANY. 

Frankfort,  July  16.  —  The  French  Government  have  sent  1 
a  threatening  message  to  the  South  German  Governments, 
demanding  that  they  should  forward,  within  twenty-four  hours, 
a  declaration  whether  they  intend  to  remain  neutral. 

The  sympathy  of  all  the  South  German  States  is  in  favor  of 
Prussia.  Hanover,  even,  has  no  sympathy  for  France. 

The  “free  imperial  city”  of  Frankfort,  seized  by  Prussia  after  i 
the  Austrian  campaign,  is  enthusiastic  for  United  Germany. 

How  they  hated  King  William  in  Wiesbaden  in  ’67,  and  now  - 
every  tongue  is  eloquent  for  United  Germany  ! 

FRANCE  DELUDED. 

Paris,  July  16.  — There  is  immense  activity  at  the  War  Of¬ 
fice.  Troops  are  going  forward  to  Metz  with  rapidity.  It  is 
expected  that  the  South  German  States  will  go  with  France,  or 
remain  neutral.  This  is  a  vain  delusion. 

French  Ministers  at  Baden,  Saxony,  Bavaria,  and  Hesse  have 
been  summoned  to  Paris,  to  give  information  respecting  the 
attitude  of  those  States  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war. 

Prussian  troops  are  concentrating  at  Mayence  and  Cologne, 
and  along  the  Rhine. 

THE  FRENCH  PRESS 

complain  of  the  tone  of  the  observations  of  Mr.  Disraeli  and 
the  speech  of  Mr.  Gladstone  towards  France.  “  France  de¬ 
mands  nothing  of  England  but  loyal,  sincere  neutrality.” 

The  Soir  (Edmond  About)  says  : 

“If  France  wishes  to  gain,  or  at  least  to  neutralize,  the  peoples  whom  Prussia  has  en¬ 
rolled  against  us,  France  should  commence  by  formally  disavowing  all  ideas  of  conquest.  I 
Germany  will  never  allow  a  single  village  to  be  detached  from  her  territory,  and  Germany 
is  right.  Let  the  French  motto  be,  1  No  annexation.’  If  also  we  wish  England  to  remain  j 


4-4- 


SATURDAY,  JULY  1 6. 


45 


a  faithful  ally,  let  us  hasten  to  reassure  Antwerp  and  Belgium  by  an  official  declaration. 
If  we  wish  to  gain  Italy,  let  us  recall  the  garrison  from  Rome.  Let  us  be  honest,  and  we 
shall  be  doubly  strong.” 

The  Journal  des  Debats  says  that  “  while  a  hope  remained  that  peace  might  be  main¬ 
tained  with  honor,  it  had  endeavored  to  calm  passion  and  secure  the  triumph  of  pacific 
ideas.  It  now  renounces  the  discussion,  and  henceforth  will  associate  itself  with  the  pa¬ 
triotic  sentiment  which  should  animate  all  Frenchmen,  without  distinction  of  party.  It 
will  now  as  earnestly  seek  to  promote  the  triumph  of  the  French  flag,  as  it  had  hitherto 
earnestly  sought  to  maintain  peace.” 

The  Republican  journal,  La  Cloche ,  says  that  “ France  is  about  to  pay  with  her 
blood  for  the  inaptitude  of  her  diplomatists.” 

La  Cloche  bitterly  reproaches  the  Empire,  which,  while  promising  peace,  is  incessantly 
leading  the  country  into  war,  and  says  that  “  it  cannot  find  a  shadow  of  pretext  for  the 
war.” 

The  Rappel  strongly  attacks  the  conduct  of  the  Government  from  first  to  last,  and  says, 
“The  Left  ( The  Republicans j  nobly  performed  their  duty,  and  blamed  the  Ministers  and 
the  armed  soldiers.”  The  Left  is  severe  upon  the  faults  of  the  Government,  but  passion¬ 
ately  jealous  of  the  honor  of  France. 

The  Siecle  publishes  a  similar  declaration  to  that  contained  in  the  Journal  des  Debats. 
and  says,  war  being  declared,  it  must  be  energetically  conducted,  and  the  country  must 
make  all  sacrifice  required  by  the  present  circumstances. 

The  Temps  deplores  the  impatience  and  intolerance  of  the  majority  in  the  Legislative 
Body  yesterday,  which  approved  the  policy  of  the  Government,  without  even  wishing  for 
proper  information. 

The  Patric  states  that  France  will  address  to  the  South  German  States  a  manifesto, 
declaring  that  the  war  will  be  confined  to  France  and  Prussia,  and  that  France  will  re¬ 
spect  the  rights  and  independence  of  Germany. 

Paris,  July  16,  5.40  p.m.  — M.  Rouher  has  announced  to-day  in  the 
Senate,  that  the  Prussians  have  entered  French  territory. 

According  to  private  information,  the  Prussians  entered  France,  near 
Landau,  but  returned  shortly  afterwards  into  Prussian  territory. 

The  Duke  de  Gramont  has  informed  Lord  Lyons,  the  British  ambassa¬ 
dor,  and  Baron  Beyens,  the  Minister  of  Belgium,  that  France  will  respect, 
even  strategically,  Belgium’s  neutrality. 

The  Senate  unanimously  voted  to-day  as  urgent  the  financial  credits 
voted  yesterday  by  the  Legislative  Body.  The  sitting  was  then  suspended 
for  a  short  time.  On  the  adjournment  of  the  House,  the  members  will 
proceed  in  a  body  to  St.  Cloud. 

A  decree  declares  the  Departments  on  the  Moselle  and  the  Upper  and 
Lower  Rhine  in  a  state  of  siege. 

A  decree  calls  out  90,000  men,  who  form  the  contingent  of  the  class  of 
1S69. 

ITALY  FOR  PRUSSIA. 

Florence,  July  16. — An  anti-French  demonstration  has  just  taken 
place,  which  was  originated  by  the  National  Democratic  Society.  Crowds 
of  people,  shouting,  “Down  with  France,”  “Cheers  for  Neutrality,” 


46 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


“Long  live  Prussia,”  proceeded  first  to  the  hotel  of  the  Minister  of  For¬ 
eign  Affairs,  and  afterwards  to  the  house  of  the  ambassador  of  the  North 
German  Confederation. 

The  people  shout,  “  Let  France  go  away  from  Rome  and  Italy ;  The 
Pope  and  the  Church  ;  Victor  Emanuel  and  the  State.” 

The  French  Cabinet  has  requested  the  Italian  Government  to  state  what 
attitude  Italy  intends  to  assume  in  the  pending  events. 

Berlin,  July  16.  — The  mobilization  of  the  whole  army  is  ordered,. 

The  North  German  Parliament  is  ordered  to  assemble  on  Tuesday 
next. 

All  the  provincial  Governors  who  are  on  leave  of  absence  have  been  in¬ 
structed  by  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  to  return  to  their  posts  immedi¬ 
ately. 

THE  KING  APOLOGIZE? 

The  Duke  de  Gramont  stated  to  the  North  German  ambassador  in 
Paris,  on  the  12th  inst.,  that  the  renunciation  of  the  Spanish  crown  by  the 
Prince  of  Hohenzollern  was  only  a  secondary  question ,  as  France  would 
have  prevented  his  ascending  the  throne.  The  chief  thing  demanded  was, 
that  the  King  of  Prussia,  in  an  autograph  letter  to  the  Emperor  Napo¬ 
leon,  should  make  an  apology  for  what  had  happened,  and  that  this  letter, 
which  was  to  be  made  public,  should  contain  no  mention  of  the  relation¬ 
ship  between  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  and  the  Imperial  family. 


PRUSSIA  SURPRISED. 

Prussia,  this  time,  has  been  taken  by  surprise.  King  Wil¬ 
liam’s  demeanor  is  serious  in  the  extreme.  It  is  no  secret 
that  he  was  always  averse  to  another  war,  and  he  alone  pre¬ 
vented  it  breaking  out  on  the  occasion  of  the  Luxemburg  dif¬ 
ficulty,  when  circumstances  would  have  been  far  more  favor¬ 
able  to  Prussia,  and  when  the  Prussian  Foreign  Office,  and  par¬ 
ticularly  the  officers  of  the  general  staff,  with  Count  Moltke  at 
the  head  of  them,  urged  it  upon  him.  The  scenes  he  wit¬ 
nessed  on  the  battle-fields  of  Bohemia  have  produced  this 
aversion.  The  activity  of  the  governmental  machinery  is  visi¬ 
ble  everywhere,  and  enormous. 

A  BAS  BISMARCK. 

Havre. — The  declaration  of  war  has  been  received  here  with  great 


SATURDAY,  JULY  16. 


47 


enthusiasm,  and  the  soldiers  in  the  town  were  much  cheered  by  the  inhab¬ 
itants. 

A  hostile  manifestation  has  taken  place  before  the  Prussian  consulate, 
amid  cries  of  “A  bas  Bismarck,”  “  Vive  l’Empereur.” 

Dresden.  —  The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  as  commander  of  the  Saxon 
Army  Corps,  has  issued  an  order  for  the  mobilization  of  the  troops, 
whereby  the  Saxon  Army  Corps  is  placed  on  a  war  footing.  The  mobil¬ 
ization  commences  to-day. 

BAVARIA  FIGHTS  WITH  PRUSSIA. 

The  organs  of  the  Government  confirm  the  news  that  the 
King  has  decided  to  consider  a  casus  foederis  with  Prussia  as 
having  arisen,  and  that  consequently  Bavaria  enters  into  the 
war  with  Prussia  against  France.  The  co-operation  of  the 
Bavarian  army  with  that  of  North  Germany  will  commence  at 
once. 

The  order  for  the  mobilization  of  the  Bavarian  army  has 
been  issued  by  the  King  to-day. 

Luxemburg.  —  The  Prussians  have  torn  up  the  railway  lines  on  the 
frontier  of  the  Grand  Duchy.  2,000  men  are  encamped  at  Wasserbillig. 
Communication  with  Treves  is  interrupted. 

GOD’S  BLESSING  FOR  GERMANY. 

Hamburg.  —  The  following  is  the  King  of  Prussia’s  reply 
to  an  address  received  from  the  Commercial  Chamber  at  Ham¬ 
burg  : 

“  With  heartfelt  emotion  I  receive  at  this  moment  the  telegram  of  the 
Commercial  Chamber  of  to-day’s  date.  No  one  knows  better  than  I,  who 
had  to  speak  the  decisive  word,  what  sacrifices  will  shortly  be  required 
from  the  whole  Fatherland;  but  the  self-devotion  expressed  by  the  Com¬ 
mercial  Chamber  the  moment  the  honor  of  Germany  is  at  stake,  fills  me 
with  pride  and  tranquillity.  On  God’s  blessing  all  things  depend. 

“Wilhelm  Rex.” 

The  utmost  enthusiasm  prevails  here,  as  throughout  Germany,  against 
France.  The  whole  of  Germany  is  as  one  people  in  arms  to  repel  the  in¬ 
sult  offered  to  the  national  honor. 

CHEER  THE  KING. 

Breslau.  — The  war  news  published  last  night  in  special  editions  of  the 
various  papers  evoked  a  stormy  enthusiasm  in  all  classes  of  the  population. 


48 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Crowds  of  people  thronged  the  streets  until  midnight,  singing  national 
songs,  and  giving  cheers  for  the  King. 


AMERICA. 

Washington,  July  16.  —  M.  Prevost-Paradol,  the  French 
ambassador,  was  presented  to  the  President.  The  usual 
speeches  were  made. 

AMERICAN  SYMPATHY. 

American  sympathy  is  generally  for  Prussia.  Great  regret 
is  expressed  that  Congress  should  have  adjourned  without  taking 
some  action  in  regard  to  the  merchant  marine.  The  President, 
in  conversation  with  the  author,  said  relative  to  the  adjournment 
as  follows  : 

“  Here  we  have  made  a  great,  a  suicidal  mistake.  Before  Congress  adjourned,  we 
ought  to  have  made  arrangements  for  the 

PURCHASE  OF  FOREIGN  VESSELS. 

They  are  in  the  market  now  at  cheap  figures,  but  we  can't  buy  them.  The  old  Act  of 
Congress  provides  for  the  building  of  ships  at  home,  but  prohibits  their  purchase  of  a  for¬ 
eign  power.  By  an  Act  of  Congress,  we  can’t  buy  a  vessel  which  we  once  owned,  but 
sold  to  Germany  during  our  war  ;  that  is,  we  can’t  change  her  flag.  If  we  buy  and  sail  » 
under  Prussian  flags,  then  France  will  gobble  us  up.  Our  war  killed  our  merchant  ma¬ 
rine.  In  the  face  of  the  Alabama  pirates  we  sold  out  cheap.  England  had  no  Acts  of 
Parliament  against  buying,  and  she  possessed  herself  of  our  ships  at  half  price.  Now  is 
the  time  for  us  to  get  even  by  buying  the  ships  of  France  and  Prussia.  This  is  what 
I  WANTED  CONGRESS  TO  DO.” 

Author.  —  “  What  will  be  the  effect  of  war  on  this  country?  ” 

The  President  —  “  History  will  repeat  itself.  Our  war  raised  values,  not  only  here, 
but  all  over  the  world.  People  couldn't  live  in  Europe  after  one,  nor  one-half  as  cheap  as 
before.  The  present  war  will  raise  values  in  Europe.  Americans  will  come  home.  Iron 
and  leather  and  coal  will  advance  there.  Then  we  can  compete  with  them 
without  a  tariff. 

The  war  will  be  a  self-imposed  high  tariff,  imposed  on  every  article  of  foreign  importation. 
This  war  [and  here  the  General  was  enthusiastic]  will  be  the  greatest  blessing  that  could 
be  afforded  to  America.  It  will  raise  Europe  up  to  an  equilibrium  of  prices  and  labor. 
Our  factories  will  start  again.  Importations  will  cease.  They  will  no  longer  be  able  to 
make  a  coat  cheaper  in  Europe  than  in  this  country.  Our  breadstuffs  and  bacon  will 
have  to  furnish  their  quartermaster's  department  indirectly.  Pork  will  advance,  and  gen¬ 
eral  farm  produce  will  bring  correspondingly  high  figures,  if  the  war  lasts,  as  I  now  think  it 
will.  Our  bonds  will  come  home  at  first,  but  they  will  be  quickly  absorbed.  They  are 
safe,  and  foreigners  are  even  now  making  large  deposits  of  them  in  American  banks. 
Many  are  coming  back,  but  few  want  to  realize  on  them.  They  make  a  sure  revenue  for 
them,  no  matter  how  the  war  turns  out  at  home.” 


Sunday,  July  17.  —  Arrival  of  King  William  at  Munich.  He 
is  received  by  the  multitude  with  uncovered  heads.  Gramont 


SUNDAY,  JULY  17. 


49 


says  France  will  respect  the  neutrality  of  Luxemburg.  Sweden 
and  Norway  to  remain  neutral.  Marshal  Bazaine  goes  to  the 
front.  Canrobert  follows.  The  French  troops  are  at  Thion- 
ville ;  the  Prussians  at  Longwy.  The  French  Legislature,  in 
an  address  to  the  Emperor,  approves  his  course.  .  Wiirtem- 
berg  and  Bavaria  with  Prussia. 

BAVARIA  AND  VATERLAND. 

Munich,  July  17  (Evening). — An  immense  crowd  went  this  after¬ 
noon  to  the  King’s  palace,  notwithstanding  the  rain,  and  expressed  their 
gratitude  for  his  most  recent  patriotic  resolutions,  and  his  fidelity  to  his  con¬ 
federate  duties,  and  gave  numberless  cheers  to  his  Majesty.  The  multitude, 
uncovering  their  heads,  sang  popular  hymns,  and  Arndt’s  song,  “  Was  ist 
des  Deutschen  Vaterlancl.”  The  King,  with  visible  emotion,  bowed  fre¬ 
quently  from  the  open  window. 

Luxemburg.  —  According  to  a  telegram  received  here  from  the 
Charge  d’ Affaires  of  Luxemburg  at  Paris,  the  Duke  de  Gramont  has  de¬ 
clared  that  France  would  not  think  of  taking  the  initiative  in  violating  the 
neutrality  of  the  Grand  Duchy.  The  Chamber  has  been  convoked  for  Fri¬ 
day  next. 

Stockholm.  —  Sweden  and  Norway  will  observe  neutrality  in  the 
coming  struggle.  All  the  journals  are  in  favor  of  the  maintenance  of  this 
attitude. 

Brussels.  —  The  French  are  at  Thionville,  near  Metz. 
The  Prussians  have  occupied  a  French  village  near  Longwy, 
and  an  encounter  is  expected  to  take  place  to-day. 

VIVE  l’empereur. 

Paris,  July  17.  — The  Constitutionnel  announces  that  patriotic  man¬ 
ifestations  have  taken  place  in  different  towns  of  France,  and  especially  in 
Perpignan,  Mimes,  Lille,  Tarbes,  Nancy,  Amiens,  Dijon,  and  Havre. 
On  each  occasion  of  the  departure  of  regiments  they  received  an  ovation 
from  the  people. 

In  Paris  fresh  warlike  demonstrations  occurred  last  night.  The  crowd 
sang  the  “Marseillaise,”  shouting  “Vive  la  France!”  “Vive  l’Emper- 
eur  !  ” 


3 


50 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  IVAR. 

♦ 

Marshal  Bazaine  set  out  last  night  to  take  the  command  of  his  army- 
corps.  He  will  have  80,000  men,  afterwards  to  be  increased  to  120,000. 

Marshal  Canrobert  leaves  Paris  this  evening. 

40,000,000  VS.  FRANCE. 

The  North  German  Confederation  of  eighteen  Governments 
.have  made  common  cause  with  Prussia  against  France.  Bavaria 
and  WUrtemberg  are  with  Prussia  also.  It  seems  as  if  France 
has  a  great  and  bloody  work  before  her. 

THE  WAR  GROWS. 

Remark,  July  17. — Prussia  was  never  so  strong  as  now.  The  Em¬ 
peror  was  to  soothe  and  neutralize  South  Germany  by  a  proclamation,  and 
then  deal  with  his  great  rival  single-handed.  The  notion  was  essentially 
fictitious,  for  to  attack  Prussia  is  to  attack  the  North  German  Confedera¬ 
tion,  whose  eighteen  Governments  have  undertaken  a  common  defence 
of  their  territory. 

Fictions,  indeed,  are  'Sometimes  useful  while  they  can  be  kept  up,  but 
this  fancy  has  vanished.  The  South  German  States,  who  were  foremost  in 
the  view  of  political  speculators,  are  declaring  themselves.  Their  resolution 
is  taken,  and  the  whole  German  people,  save  six  million  subjects  of  the 
Austro-Hungarian  Emperor,  will  be  united  for  the  defence  of  the  Father- 
land.  Bavaria  was  in  armed  conflict  with  Prussia  only  four  years  ago,  and 
it  was  asked  with  some  doubt  whether  patriotic  German  sentiment  or  jeal¬ 
ousy  of  Prussia  would  sway  its  resolution.  Bavaria  has  firmly  resolved  to 
stand  by  the  side  of  Prussia,  and  her  determination  will  be  that  of  Wiirtem- 
berg  also.  The  rulers  of  South  Germany  have  comprehended  that  in  such 
a  war  as  this  they  could  occupy  no  neutral  position :  either  they  must  frankly 
and  unreservedly  cast  in  their  lot  with  the  defenders  of  the  common  country, 
or  accept  the  miserable  part  assigned  by  the  First  Napoleon  to  his  German 
dependents,  and  take  sides  with  France  against  their  brethren. 

There  are  only  two  parties  in  this  war  —  the  French  and  the  German 
nations.  The  alliance  of  Bavaria,  Wiirtemberg,  and  Baden  with  Prussia 
at  once  increases  by  eight  millions  the  population  which  was  previously  com¬ 
mitted  with  all  its  resources  to  the  prosecution  of  the  war  with  France. 

BAVARIA  TURNS  THE  SCALE. 

Until  yesterday  it  was  doubtful  whether  this  was  to  be  a  war  between 
Prussia  and  France  or  between  Germany  and  France.  It  was  pos¬ 
sible  that  the  South  German  States  might  hold  aloof.  Many  plaus¬ 
ible  reasons  for  their  abstention  might  have  been  urged.  They  could 
not  be  said  to  have  had  any  share  in  the  candidature  of  Prince  Leopold, 


MONDAY,  JULY  iS. 


51 


nor  could  they  have  been  fairly  called  upon  to  fight  merely  because 
the  King  of  Prussia  had  shown  himself  reluctant  to  assent  to  the 
demand  of  the  French.  The  Emperor  of  the  French  took  all  these  matters 
into  consideration ;  he  counted  upon  finding  allies,  none  the  less  valuable 
because  they  were  passive,  among  the  States  of  the  South.  Nothing  could 
have  more  thoroughly  dispelled  this  apprehension  on  the  side  of  Germany, 
and  hope  on  the  side  of  France,  than  the  conduct  of  Bavaria.  By  mani¬ 
festing  a  readiness  to  identify  herself  with  Prussia,  Bavaria  has  done  much 
to  prove  that  the  war,  so  rashly  and  unjustifiably  provoked,  is  a  war  with 
United  Germany.  Such  is  the  conviction,  and  it  is  a  belief  which  is  fully 
warranted  by  facts. 

The  Bavarian  war  army  numbers  170,000  men. 

PRUSSIA  SURPRISED. 

The  statement  that  Prussia  has  been  making  preparations  for  war  while 
the  negotiations  with  France  were  in  progress,  is  a  pure  invention  of  French 
Ministers.  If  careful  arrangements  had  been  made,  some  token  of  them 
would  be  perceptible  in  the  cities  which  are  certain  to  bear  the  first  shock  of 
war.  In  Cologne  there  would  have  been  seen  all  that  was  necessary  to  resist 
the  attack  of  the  enemy.  Up  to  yesterday,  however,  nothing  had  been  done 
here.  Yesterday  was  the  first  day  on  which  the  army  in  the  north  of  Ger¬ 
many  was  formally  put  on  a  war  footing.  General  Herwarth,  who  commands 
the  Eighth  Division  of  the  army,  then  issued  a  summons  to  the  effect  that 
the  army  was  to  be  “mobilized  in  other  words,  to  be  prepared  for  war. 
The  truth  is,  that  this  movement  is  but  one  in  a  series,  and  it  is  undeniable 
that  the  Germans  have  been  taken  unawares.  But  if  this  should  tell  against 
them  in  one  respect,  it  is  a  strong  testimony  in  their  favor  in  another.  Ilad 
the  King  of  Prussia  desired  to  go  to  war,  he  would  assuredly  have  taken 
more  pains  to  render  his  army  ready  to  take  the  field  at  a  moment’s  notice. 

The  soldiers  who  are  now  being  got  ready  to  face  the  foe  have  been  well 
drilled.  Like  English  militia,  they  have  served  a  longer  or  shorter  period 
every  year.  Although  they  have  not  been  habituated  to  act  in  concert,  yet 
they  are  well  acquainted  with  the  routine  of  service,  and  they  are  all  actua¬ 
ted  with  the  desire  to  do  their  utmost  for  the  defence  of  the  Fatherland. 

Monday,  July  18.  —  The  South  German  States  declare  their 
purpose  to  support  Prussia.  Departure  of  the  Crown  Prince 
of  Prussia  for  Munich,  to  take  command  of  their  armies.  Ger¬ 
man  mail-steamers  cease  sailing.  Coast  lights,  buoys,  and  all 
aids  to  navigation  on  the  German  coast,  extinguished  and  re¬ 
moved  by  order  of  the  Prussian  Government.  Rumors  of  fight¬ 
ing. 

King  William  arrives  in  Berlin,  and  addresses  the  people. 
Prussia  respects  Luxemburg’s  neutrality.  France  votes  440,- 
000,000  francs  for  the  Ministry  of  War,  70,000,000  francs 
for  the  Ministry  of  Marine,  and  provides  for  issuing  500,- 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


f>9, 


000,000  francs  in  treasury  bonds.  The  Crown  Prince  Freder¬ 
ick  William  to  command  the  Southern  army. 


Paris,  July  18.  —  In  to-day’s  sitting  of  the  Legislative  Body  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  brought  forward  bills  granting  supplementary  credits  of  440,000,- 
000  francs  for  the  Ministry  of  War,  70,000,000  francs  for  the  Ministry  of 
Marine,  and  5,000,000  francs  for  the  Ministry  of  Finance;  raising  from 
150,000,000  francs  to  500,000,000  francs  the  maximum  of  the  issue  of 
treasury  bonds  ;  authorizing  the  Deputies  to  take  service  in  the  Gardes  Na¬ 
tional  and  Mobile  as  officers,  and  prohibiting  the  publication  of  intelligence 
relative  to  the  military  operations.  These  bills  were  declared  urgent.  It 
was  announced  that  the  Ministry  would  render  a  special  account  of  the  war 
expenses. 

The  Emperor  came  to  Paris  to-day. 

FRANCE  VS.  UNITED  GERMANY. 

The  French  Government  has  received  official  notification  from  the  South 
German  States  that  they  will  not  remain  neutral,  but  will  support  Prussia 
in  the  war.  The  Prussian  Government  has  removed  the  buoys  and  coast- 
lights  from  the  German  coast.  General  Changarnier  desires  to  take  the 
field  with  a  command. 

Luxemburg,  Jitly  18. — -Count  Bismarck  telegraphed  here  yesterday, 
in  the  name  of  the  North  German  Confederation,  that  the  neutrality  of 
Luxemburg  would  be  respected  as  long  as  the  French  should  respect  it. 

Munich.  —  A  ministerial  order  has  been  published  to-day,  prohibiting 
the  exportation  and  the  transit  of  arms,  and  the  munitions  of  war  of  all 
kinds,  over  the  frontier  of  Saarbriick,  Neuburg  on  the  Rhine,  and  Lan¬ 
dau. 

THE  KING  TALKS  IN  BERLIN. 

Berlin. — The  Town  Councillors  presented  to-day,  at  noon,  to  the 
King,  an  address,  thanking  his  Majesty  for  having  repelled  the  unheard-of 
attempt  made  upon  the  dignity  and  independence  of  the  nation,  and  asserting 
that  France  having  declared  war  against  Prussia,  every  man  will  do  his 
duty.  The  address  says  that,  however  desirous  Germany  might  be  to  carry 
out  the  work  of  peace,  no  sacrifice  will  be  considered  too  heavy  to  oppose 
the  present  rapacious  attack  upon  the  independence  of  the  Fatherland. 
Prussia  enters  in  unison  with  Germany  upon  a  war  to  which  she  has  been 
provoked  by  foreign  arrogance. 

The  address  concludes  by  stating  that  it  is  presented  as  evidence  of  the 
entire  devotion  to  duty,  and  of  the  spirited  feeling  pervading  the  nation. 

The  King,  in  reply,  expressed  his  gratitude  for  the  sentiments  contained 
in  the  address,  and  said:  “  God  knows ,  I  am  not  answerable  for  this 


TUESDAY,  JULY  19. 


53 


■war.  The  demand  sent  me  I  could  not  do  otherwise  than  reject.  My  re¬ 
ply  gained  the  approval  of  all  the  towns  and  provinces,  the  expression  of 
which  I  have  received  from  all  parts  of  Germany  and  even  from  Germans 
residing  beyond  the  seas.  The  greeting  which  was  given  me  here  on  Fri¬ 
day  last  animated  me  with  pride  and  confidence.  Heavy  sacrifices  will  be 
demanded  of  my  people.  We  have  been  rendered  unaccustomed  to  them 
by  the  quickly-gained  victories  which  we  achieved  in  the  last  two 
wars.  We  shall  not  get  off  so  cheaply  this  time;  but  I  know  what  I  may 
expect  from  my  army,  and  from  those  now  hastening  to  join  the  ranks. 
The  instrument  is  sharp  and  cutting,  the  result 

IS  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  GOD. 

I  know,  also,  what  I  may  expect  from  those  who  are  called  upon  to  alle¬ 
viate  the  wounds,  the  pains,  and  sufferings  which  war  entails.  In  conclu¬ 
sion,  I  beg  you  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  to  the  citizens  for  the  recep¬ 
tion  they  have  given  me.” 

At  the  termination  of  the  King’s  address,  the  Assembly,  with  great  en¬ 
thusiasm,  shouted  unanimously,  “Long  live  the  King  1” 

CROWN  PRINCE. 

The  King  has  appointed  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  to  the  command-in¬ 
chief  of  the  South  German  army.  The  Cross  Gazette  adds  that  this  ap¬ 
pointment  is  a  proof,  not  only  of  how  highly  important  the  King  considers 
the  post,  but  also  of  the  most  satisfactory  fact,  never  doubted  by  Prussia, 
that  the  offensive  and  defensive  alliance  would  be  faithfully  adhered  to  by 
all  the  South  German  States. 

Tuesday,  July  19. — The  French  invade  Prussia.  Prussian 
uhlans  exchange  shots  with  French  chasseurs  at  Saarbriick. 
North  Germans  serving  in  the  French  army  called  home. 

Minister  Washburne  accepts  the  protection  of  Prussian  sub¬ 
jects  in  France.  Order  of  the  Iron  Cross  instituted.  King 
William  opens  the  North  German  Parliament  with  a  speech  on 
the  Hohenzollern  affair  and  the  war.  A  bill  for  120,000,000 
thalers,  for  military  purposes,  introduced.  Metz  crowded  with 
French  soldiers.  Queen  Victoria  proclaims  strict  neutrality  on 
the  part  of  England. 

FRENCH  TROOPS  ACROSS  THE  FRONTIER. 

Cologne,  July  19  (Evening). — The  customs  inspectoral  Saarbriick 


54 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


reports  that  French  troops  crossed  the  frontier  to-day,  and  after  searching 
the  custom-house  at  Solsterhohe,  took  two  customs  officers  prisoners. 

Forbach.  —  The  hostilities  at  Forbach  were  confined  to  an  exchange  of 
shots  between  some  patrols  and  custom-house  guards.  A  detachment  of 
Prussian  infantry  and  uhlans,  of  the  garrison  of  Saarbriick,  encountered  a 
body  of  French  chasseurs.  After  exchanging  some  shots  the  latter  de¬ 
clined  to  accept  battle,  and  retired  into  French  territory,  followed  by  the 
uhlans.  No  casualty  occurred  on  either  side. 

DECLARATION  OF  WAR  GONE. 

Paris,  July  19.  — Count  Wimpffen  has  left  for  Berlin,  with  the  French 
declaration  of  war  against  Prussia.  Mr.  Washburne,  the  United  States 
Minister,  has  accepted  the  protection  of  Prussian  subjects  in  France,  after 
having  previously  requested  the  assent  of  the  French  Government. 

FRENCH  GENERALS’  ORDERS. 

At  a  military  dinner,  given  at  St.  Cloud,  last  night,  his  Majesty  evaded 
all  questions  on  the  subject.  An  orderly  officer  of  the  Emperor  and  an 
aide-de-camp  of  General  Leboeuf  left  last  night  with  sealed  instructions 
for  Marshal  Bazaine  and  Generals  De  Failly  and  L’Admirault,  which  are  to 
be  acted  on  simultaneously  with  the  public  proclamation  of  the  declaration 
of  war. 

Within  the  next  four  days  350,000  men  will  be  assembled  between  Stras- 
burg,  Metz,  and  Nancy.  Three  army  corps  are  now  echeloned  along  the 
eastern  frontier. 

FRENCH  SHIPPING. 

Berlin.  —  The  official  Staatsanzeiger  of  to-day  publishes  a  decree  order¬ 
ing  that  French  merchant  vessels  shall  not  be  captured  by  vessels  of  the 
Federal  fleet,  except  under  circumstances  where  capture  would  be  justified 
in  the  case  of  neutral  ships. 

The  same  decree  summons  all  North  Germans  now  serving  in  the  French 
army  to  return  home  without  delay. 

In  to-day’s  sitting  of  the  North  German  Parliament  the  Government  in¬ 
troduced  a  bill  demanding  a  credit  of  120,000,000  thalers  for  military  pur¬ 
poses. 

SAXONY  FOR  PRUSSIA. 

In  the  last  sitting  of  the  Federal  Council,  Baron  Friesen,  in  the  name  of 
the  Saxon  Government,  which,  as  he  stated,  was  entirely  at  one  with  all 
other  Federal  Governments,  declared  that  it  agreed  with  all  the  steps  hith¬ 
erto  taken  by  the  President  of  the  Confederation,  and  with  the  views  which 
Prussia  had  expressed  on  the  circumstances  which  have  brought  about  the 


TUESDAY,  JULY  19. 


55 


present  position  of  affairs.  Baron  Friesen  concluded  as  follows:  “ France 
dettiands  war .  Let  us  hope  that  it  will  be  carried  on  with  all  possible 
speed  and  energy 


SPEECH  OF  THE  KING  OF  PRUSSIA. 

Berlin,  July  19.  —  The  North  German  Parliament  was 
opened  to-day  by  King  William  in  person.  His  Majesty  de¬ 
livered  the  following  speech  from  the  throne  : 

“  Honored  Gentlemen  of  the  Parliament  of  the  North  German  Confed¬ 
eration  :  When  at  your  last  meeting  I  bade  you  welcome  from  this  place  in 
the  name  of  the  Allied  Governments,  it  was  with  joy  and  gratitude  that  I 
was  able  to  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that,  by  the  help  of  God,  success  had 
rewarded  my  sincere  efforts  to  meet  the  wishes  of  the  people,  and  the  re¬ 
quirements  of  civilization,  by  avoiding  any  disturbance  of  the  peace  of 
Europe. 

“  If,  notwithstanding  this  assurance,  the  menace  and  imminence  of  war  have  now  laid 
upon  the  Confederate  Governments  the  duty  of  calling  you  together  for  an  extraordinary 
session,  you  as  well  as  ourselves  will  be  animated  with  the  conviction  that  the  North  Ger¬ 
man  Confederation  has  labored  to  improve  the  national  forces,  not  to  imperil,  but  to  afford 
a  greater  protection  to  universal  peace,  and  that  when  we  call  upon  this  national  army  to 
defend  our  independence,  we  only  obey  the  mandates  of  honor  and  duty.  The  candidacy 
of  a  German  prince  for  the  Spanish  throne,  both  in  the  bringing  forward  and  with¬ 
drawal  of  which  the  Confederate  Governments  were  equally  unconcerned,  and  which  only 
interested  the  North  German  Confederation  in  so  far  as  the  Government  of  a  friendly 
country  appeared  to  base  upon  its  success  the  hopes  of  acquiring  for  a  sorely  tried  people 
a  pledge  for  regular  and  peaceful  government,  afforded  the  Emperor  of  the  French  a  pre¬ 
text  for  a  casus  belli ,  put  forward  in  a  manner  long  since  unknown  in  the  annals  of  diplo¬ 
matic  intercourse,  and  adhered  to  after  the  removal  of  the  very  pretext  itself,  with  that  dis¬ 
regard  for  the  people's  right  to  the  blessings  of  peace,  of  which  the  history  of  a  former 
ruler  of  France  affords  so  many  analogous  examples.  If  Germany  in  former  centuries 
bore  in  silence  such  violations  of  her  rights  and  of  her  honor,  it  was  only  because  in  her 
then  divided  state  she  knew  not  her  own  strength.  To-day,  when  the  links  of  intellectual 
and  rightful  community,  which  began  to  be  knit  together  at  the  time  of  the  wars  of  libera¬ 
tion,  join  the  more  slowly,  the  more  surely,  the  different  German  races  ;  to-day,  that  Ger¬ 
many’s  armament  leaves  no  longer  an  opening  to  the  enemy.  The  German  nation  con¬ 
tains  within  itself  the  will  and  the  power  to  repel  the  renewed  aggression  of  France.  It  is 
not  arrogance  that  puts  these  words  in  my  mouth.  The  Confederate  Governments  and  I 
myself  are  acting  in  the  full  consciousness  that  victory  and  defeat  are  in  the  hands  of  Him 
who  decides  the  fate  of  battles.  With  a  clear  gaze  we  have  measured  the  responsibility 
which,  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God  and  of  mankind,  must  fall  upon  him  who  drags 
two  great  and  peace-loving  peoples  of  the  head  of  Europe  into  a  devastating  war.  The 
more  the  Confederate  Governments  are  conscious  of  having  done  all  our  honor  and  dig¬ 
nity  permitted  to  preserve  to  Europe  the  blessings  of  peace,  and  the  more  indubitable  it 
shall  appear  to  all  minds  that  the  sword  has  been  thrust  into  our  hands,  so  much  the  more 
confidently  shall  we  rely  upon  the  united  will  of  the  German  Governments,  both  of  the 
North  and  South ,  and  upon  your  love  of  country  ;  and  so  much  the  more  confidently  we 
shall  fight  for  our  right  against  the  violence  of  foreign  invaders.  Inasmuch  as  we  pursue 


56 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


no  other  object  than  the  durable  establishment  of  peace  in  Europe,  God  will  be  with  us,  as 
He  was  with  our  forefathers.” 

The  King  read  the  speech  in  a  firm  voice,  but  displayed  at  several  passa¬ 
ges  much  emotion,  and  was  often  interrupted  with  vociferous  cheering,  es¬ 
pecially  when  he  spoke  of  the  no  longer  divided  Germany  - — •  a  remark 
which  was  understood  to  allude  to  the  co-operation  of  Bavaria. 

At  the  close  of  the  speech  Baron  Von  Friesen,  the  Saxon  Minister, 
called  for  cheers  for  King  William,  which  were  repeated  over  and  over 
again. 


METZ  ON  A  WAR  FOOTING. 

Metz,  July  19.—  All  the  ordinary  trains  are  compelled  to  hang  about  on 
sidings,  in  order  to  let  trains  laden  with  troops  go  by.  Metz  is  one  of  the 
most  important  military  positions  in  France,  and  the  residence  of  the  com¬ 
mandant  of  the  fifth  of  the  great  military  divisions  of  the  empire.  The 
town  contains  54,000  inhabitants,  and  is  most  thoroughly  fortified,  being 
one  of  the  bulwarks  of  France  against  invasion  from  the  north-east.  It  will 
be  a  base  of  operations  in  the  approaching  campaign.  The  town  literally 
swarms  with  soldiers.  There  are  nearly  100,000  men  quartered  in  this 
town,  or  encamped  just  outside  the  walls.  Most  of  the  troops  have  come 
on  from  the  great  camp  of  Chalons,  which  is  about  100  miles  off,  midway 
between  Metz  and  Paris.  The  streets  are  gay  with  tricolors,  which  hang 
from  nearly  every  window.  Such  a  tremendous  eruption  of  the  national 
flag  has  seldom  been  seen,  not  even  in  the  States  on  a  Fourth  of  July. 

ENGLAND  NEUTRAL. 

London,  July  19. —  Queen  Victoria  has  this  day  pro¬ 
claimed  strict  neutrality  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war. 

IRON  CROSS. 

Berlin,  July  19. —  King  William  reinstates  the  Order  of  the 
Iron  Cross  in  the  following  Cabinet  order : 

Looking  to  the  critical  situation  of  the  Fatherland,  and  in  thankful  remembrance  of  the 
heroic  deeds  of  our  forefathers  in  the  great  years  of  the  War  of  Liberation,  I  recall  into  ex¬ 
istence,  in  its  full  value,  the  decoration  of  the  Iron  Cross,  founded  by  my  father,  who  rests 
in  God.  The  Iron  Cross  shall,  without  distinction  of  rank  or  position,  be  conferred  as  a 
reward  for  desert  which  shall  be  exhibited,  either  in  actual  battle  with  the  enemy  or  at 
home  in  connection  with  this  struggle  for  the  honor  and  independence  of  the  dear  Father- 
land.  The  Minister  of  State  is  charged  to  draw  up  at  once  the  plan  of  a  scheme  for  the 
formation  of  the  Iron  Cross.  In  reference  to  this  I  remark  : 

1.  The  decoration  of the  Iron  Cross,  recalled  into  existence  for  this  war,  shall,  as  before, 
consist  of  two  classes  and  one  grand  cross.  The  decoration,  and  the  ribbon  as  well,  re- 


IVEDNESDA  V,  JUL  V  20. 


57 


main  unchanged  ;  only  upon  the  smooth  front  surface  the  W,  with  the  crown,  and  under 
it  the  year  1870,  shall  be  added. 

2.  The  second  class  shall  be  worn  on  a  black  rihbon  with  white  edges,  when  the  decor¬ 
ation  has  been  won  in  battle  with  the  enemy ;  and  on  a  white  band  with  black  edges 
when  that  is  not  the  case,  in  the  button-hole  —  the  first  class  on  the  left  breast ;  and  the 
grand  cross,  twice  as  large  as  that  of  the  two  classes,  about  the  neck. 

3.  The  second  class  of  the  Iron  Cross  shall  be  first  bestowed  ;  the  first  class  can  be 
gained  in  no  other  way  than  by  first  winning  the  second  class,  and  the  two  shall  be  worn 
side  by  side. 

4.  The  grand  cross  can  be  received  only  by  a  commander  for  winning  a  decisive  battle, 
after  which  the  enemy  must  have  forsaken  his  position  ;  or  else  for  the  capture  of  an  im¬ 
portant  fortress ;  or  for  the  stubborn  defence  of  a  fortress  which  does  not  fall  into  the  ene¬ 
my’s  hands. 

5.  All  privileges  which  up  to  this  time  have  been  connected  with  the  Order  of  Merit, 
first  and  second  classes,  shall  be  enjoyed  by  the  first  and  second  classes  of  the  Iron 
Cross. 

6.  It  is  my  intention  to  seek  information  whether  and  to  what  extent  the  existing  war 
decoration  and  Military  Order  of  Merit  shall  be  distributed  in  this  war. 


Wednesday,  July  20. —  France  declines  English  mediation. 
The  war  pronounced  in  the  interests  of  Catholicism.  The  Crown 
Prince  assumes  command  of  the  South  German  armies.  Count 
Bismarck  notified  that  Bavaria  will  be  Prussia’s  ally  in  the  war 
against  France.  Saxon  Minister  recalled  from  Paris.  Hesse 
Darmstadt  stands  with  Prussia.  M.  Prevost-Paradol,  French 
Minister  to  Washington,  commits  suicide.  German  mass-meet¬ 
ings  in  America. 

ENGLISH  MEDIATION  DECLINED. 

Paris,  July  20. — France  has  declined  the  mediation  proffered  by  England 
in  virtue  of  the  Treaty  of  1856,  on  the  ground  that  the  present  circumstan¬ 
ces  do  not  come  within  the  scope  of  that  treaty. 


CATHOLICISM  vs.  ORTHODOXY. 

The  Monde  of  this  morning  publishes  an  article  relative  to 
the  Franco-Prussian  war,  in  which  it  says  that  the  war  is  not 
only  destined  to  decide  the  preponderance  of  one  of  the  two 
powers,  but  will  have  a  most  important  influence  upon  the  pros¬ 
pects  of  Catholicism.  The  Monde  considers  the  triumph  of 
France  necessary,  in  order  to  stay  the  progress  of  Protestant¬ 
ism  and  infidel  German  philosophy,  represented  by  Prussia. 

GRAMONT  ANNOUNCES  A  STATE  OF  WAR. 

Paris,  July  20.-—  In  to-day’s  sitting  of  the  Legislative  Body  the  Duke 
de  Gramont  read  the  following  communication:  “In  conformity  with 

3* 


58 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


the  law  of  custom,  and  by  order  of  the  Emperor,  I  have  requested  the 
French  charge  d’affaires  at  the  Court  of  Berlin  to  notify  to  the  Prussian 
Government  our  resolution  to  seek  by  force  of  arms  the  guarantees  we 
have  not  been  able  to  obtain  by  discussion.  That  step  has  been  taken, 
and  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Legislative  Body  that  consequently  a 
state  of  war  exists  since  yesterday  between  France  and  Prussia.  This  de¬ 
claration  also  applies  to  the  allies  of  Prussia  who  lend  to  that  power  against 
us  the  assistance  of  their  arms.” 

The  Duke  de  Gramont’s  declaration  was  received  with  loud  cheers. 

M.  Schneider,  the  President,  said  he  took  official  cognizance  of  the 
declaration. 

In  the  Corps  Legislatif  the  Bill  prohibiting  the  publication  of  news  of 
military  operations  was  passed  by  209  against  19  votes.  The  extraordinary 
budget  of  the  city  of  Paris,  with  an  amendment  increasing  by  thirty-eight 
millions  the  sum  granted  for  public  works,  was  also  unanimously  adopted. 

It  is  stated  that  all  Prussian  consuls  will  be  requested  to  leave  French 
territory. 


BAVARIA  FIGHTS  FOR  PRUSSIA. 

Munich,  July  20.  —  The  Bavarian  Minister  in  Berlin  has 
been  instructed  by  telegraph  to  notify  to  Count  Bismarck,  that 
in  consequence  of  the  declaration  of  war  by  France  against 
Prussia,  and  the  fact  of  an  invasion  of  German  territory  hav¬ 
ing  taken  place,  the  Bavarian  Government,  on  the  ground  of 
the  treaty  of  alliance  with  Prussia,  and  as  Prussia’s  ally,  has 
entered  into  war  against  France,  in  conjunction  with  all  the 
German  Governments. 

The  Chamber  of  Deputies  has  voted  the  extraordinary  mili¬ 
tary  credit  of  18,200,000  florins  demanded  by  the  Govern¬ 
ment. 

Berlin,  July  20. —  The  Crown  Prince  of  ' Prussia  assumes 
the  command-in-chief  of  the  German  Army  of  the  South,  and 
has  already  made  the  necessary  communication  on  the  subject 
to  the  Courts  of  Munich  and  Stuttgardt. 

Dresden,  July  20.  —  The  Saxon  Minister  at  Paris  has  been  recalled. 
The  protection  of  Saxon  citizens  in  France  has  been  transferred  to  the 
American  Minister. 


THURSDAY,  JULY  z\. 


59 


HESSE  DARMSTADT  FIGHTS  FOR  PRUSSIA. 

Darmstadt,  July  20. —  In  to-day’s  sitting  of  the  Lower 
House  of  the  Diet,  Herr  von  Dulwigk,  the  Prime  Minister, 
made  a  speech,  in  which  he  stated  that  the  German  frontier 
had  been  violated  under  frivolous  pretexts.  He  declared  that 
all  particularist  dissensions  must  disappear  in  face  of  the  im¬ 
pending  danger  to  the  Fatherland,  and  he  begged  the  House 
to  sanction  unanimously  the  Bills  which  he  had  to  submit.  The 
credit  for  3,376,000  florins  for  the  Hessian  contingent,  and  a 
loan  of  1,800,000  florins,  were  agreed  to  nan.  con.  The  sit¬ 
ting  closed  amid  cheers  for  Germany,  the  King  of  Prussia,  and 
the  Grand  Duke. 


AMERICA. 

Washington,  July  20.  — An  enthusiastic  mass  meeting  of  Germans 
has  been  held  at  Cincinnati,  to  express  sympathy  with  Prussia. 

The  German  societies  in  the  great  cities  are  subscribing  large  sums  of 
money  for  the  relief  of  the  widows  and  orphans  of  the  soldiers  who  may 
fall  in  the  coming  contest. 

The  French  Minister,  M.  Prevost-Paradol,  shot  himself  through  the 
heart  yesterday  morning. 

Thursday,  July  21.  — Arrival  of  Prince  Napoleon  in  Lon¬ 
don.  Great  naval  activity  in  England.  Turkey  and  Austria 
declare  an  attentive  neutrality.  Circular  issued  by  the  French 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  to  the  representatives  of  France 
in  foreign  countries,  explaining  the  position  of  the  Emperor  on 
the  subject  of  the  war.  Prussia  accused  of  having  fomented 
the  conflict.  General  Leboeuf  declared  Major-General  of  the 
French  army.  Prussia  declares  that  Germany  will  demand 
peace  guarantees  from  France  before  the  war  closes. 

The  French  army  will  be  composed  of  eight  corps,  each  con¬ 
sisting  of  three  or  four  divisions  of  infantry,  and  from  six  to 
eight  regiments  of  calvary.  Each  division  will  have  three  bat¬ 
teries  of  artillery,  one  company  of  engineers,  and  will  comprise 
from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  men.  The  commanders  of  the 
corps  are  as  follows  : 


60 


THE  FRANCO-PRVSSIAN  WAR. 


Guard  corps  —  General  Bourbaki. 

First  corps  —  Marshal  MacMahon,  Duke  of  Magenta. 
Second  corps — Baron  Frossard,  General  of  Division. 

Third  corps  —  Marshal  Bazaine. 

Fourth  corps  —  Count  L’Admirault,  General  of  Division. 
Fifth  corps  —  De  Faillv,  General  of  Division. 

Sixth  corps  —  Marshal  Canrobert. 

Seventh  corps — Felix  Douay,  General  of  Division. 
Major-General  of  the  Army —  General  Edmond  Lebceuf. 
Assistant  Major-Generals  —  Lebrun  and  Jarras. 
Commander-in-Chief  of  Artillery  —  General  Soleille. 
Commander-in-Chief  of  Engineers  —  General  Coffinieres  de 
N  euwerk. 


THE  KING  ASSUMES  COMMAND. 

Berlin,  July  21  [Evening).  — The  King  of  Prussia  has  sent  the  fol¬ 
lowing  telegram  to  the  King  of  Bavaria  :  “  On  receipt  of  the  telegram 
from  your  Majesty,  I  immediately  assumed  the  command  of  the  Bavarian 
army,  and  I  incorporated  it  with  the  Third  Army  Corps  placed  under  the 
command  of  the  Crown  Prince.  By  an  unheard-of  presumption,  we  have 
been  driven  from  the  most  profound  peace  into  war.  Your  real  German 
attitude  has  electrified  your  people,  and  all  Germany  is  now  united  as  it 
never  was  at  any  former  time.  May  God  bless  your  arms  in  the  fortune 
of  war  !  I  tender  you  my  most  heartfelt  thanks  for  your  faithful  adherence 
to  our  treaty,  upon  which  Germany  rests.” 

The  King  of  Bavaria  replied  :  “  Your  telegram  has  awakened  in  me  a 
joyful  echo.  The  Bavarian  troops,  side  by  side  with  their  glorious  brethren 
in  arms,  will  enter  enthusiastically  into  the  struggle  for  German  right  and 
German  honor.  May  the  war  tend  to  the  welfare  of  Germany,  and  the 
safety  of  Bavaria  !  ” 


FRANCE  TO  BE  CRIPPLED. 

The  Official  Gazette  at  Berlin  declares  that  before  the  war 
closes,  Germany  and  Europe  will  exact  from  France  guarantees 
for  the  observance  of  peace  hereafter,  and  in  case  of  refusal 
will  so  cripple  France  as  to  prevent  her  from  making  more 
mischief.  The  French  circular  explaining  the  war  is  forwarded 
to  the  diplomatic  agents  of  France.  It  represents  the  candida¬ 
ture  of  Prince  Leopold  as  a  scheme  of  Prussia  to  humble 
France.  A  Prussian  fusilier  shot  the  first  Frenchman  to-day. 

Stuttg  ARDT,  July  21  [Evening).  —  Enormous  crowds  have  assembled 
in  front  of  the  royal  palace,  to  give  the  King  an  ovation,  thanking  his 
Majesty  for  having  attached  himself  to  the  national  cause,  and  joined  in  the 
war  against  France.  The  King,  Queen,  and  Prince  William  appeared  on 
the  balcony,  and  thanked  the  people  for  their  demonstration. 


THURSDA  Y,  JUL  Y  21. 


61 


PARIS  ARMY  GOSSIP 

Paris,  July  21.  —  M.  Berthemy  will  remain  at  Washington  to  replace 
M.  Prevost-Paradol. 

Dr.  Bamberg,  the  consul-general  of  the  North  German  Confederation, 
left  Paris  yesterday. 

The  Emperor  is  still  at  St.  Cloud. 

The  French  regiments  were  most  enthusiastically  received  by  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  of  Alsace  on  their  arrival  in  that  province. 

The  number  of  volunteers  enrolled  in  Paris  amounts  now  to  15,000  men, 
and  in  the  rest  of  France  to  85,000.  The  Garde  Mobile  is  being  rapidly 
organized. 

A  meeting  of  the  Americans  in  'Paris  was  held  here,  to  form  a  committee 
to  act  with  the  International  Sanitary  Association  and  the  French  Vol¬ 
unteer  Association,  for  the  succor  of  the  wounded.  Dr.  Thomas  Evans, 
the  chairman,  subscribed  10,000  francs. 

General  L’Admirault,  the  Commander  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps,  ar¬ 
rived  at  Metz  to-day. 

General  Frossard,  the  Commander  of  the  Second  Army  Corps,  has  ar¬ 
rived  at  his  head-quarters  at  St.  Avoid.  Five  army  corps  are  echeloned 
along  the  frontier. 

Admiral  Bouet- Willaumez  commands  the  Northern  iron-clad  squadron, 
and  will  hoist  his  flag  on  board  the  Surveillante. 


SOUTH  GERMANY. 

Frankfort-on-the-Main,  July  21.  — The  feeling  in  South 
Germany,  and  in  the  newly  annexed  Prussian  provinces,  is  en¬ 
tirely  on  the  side  of  Prussia.  France  has  deceived  herself  if 
she  expected  to  find  sympathy  among  the  anti-Prussians  of  two 
weeks  ago.  Never  was  there  known  such  a  change  of  public 
sentiment  as  has  been  seen  here  before  and  since  the  declara¬ 
tion  of  war  on  the  part  of  France.  Two  weeks  ago,  and  this 
once  free  city  was  strongly  anti-Prussian ;  but  to-day  there  can¬ 
not  be  counted  a  hundred  men  who  do  not  go  heart  and  soul 
for  the  German  cause.  As  regiment  after  regiment  has  passed 
through  the  city,  thousands  of  citizens  have  met  and  cheered 
them,  and  on  the  evening  after  the  news  of  the  declaration  of 
war  arrived,  many  hundreds  of  the  city  youth  paraded  the 
streets,  full  of  enthusiasm,  singing  ‘‘  Die  Waclit  am  Rhein," 
and  similar  Rhine  songs.  And  the  change  of  sentiment  in  the 
annexed  provinces  is  equally  marked.  France  calculated  very 
much  on  Flesse  Cassel,  where  the  feeling  against  Prussia  was 


62 


THE  FRAN  CO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


indeed  bitter  ;  but  the  reception  of  King  William  in  Cassel  on 
his  return  to  Berlin  shows  plainly  that  the  hearts  of  the  people 
are  true.  The  South  German  States  have  not  hesitated  a  mo¬ 
ment  in  declaring  their  intention  to  keep  their  treaty  of  de¬ 
fence  and  offence  made  with  Prussia  in  1866. 

STRASBURG. 

July  21. — The  defences  of  Strasburg  are  low,  and  the  moats  can  be 
flooded  with  water  from  the  Rhine.  The  bridge  across  the  Rhine  to  Kehl  is  a 
magnificent  structure.  The  authorities  of  Kehl  proposed  to-day  to  blow  it 
up,  but  they  were  informed  by  the  commandant  of  Strasburg,  that  while  he 
would  allow  them  to  swing  back  the  movable  portion  of  the  bridge  upon 
their  side,  he  would  reduce  Kehl  to  ashes  by  opening  from  the  Strasburg 
citadel  with  his  rifle  guns,  should  the  Germans  presume  to  destroy  an  inter¬ 
national  work.  So  the  bridge  remains  an  epitome  of  the  situation  —  built 
to  connect  Germany  and  France,  for  the  present  useless  to  develop  the 
resources  of  either  country. 

The  garrison  of  Strasburg  consists  of  about  6000  men,  but  there  is  a 
camp  without  the  walls  which  may  hold  10,000  more. 

GERMAN  UNITY. 

Remark,  July  21. — Count  Bismarck  is  but  another  name 
for  German  unity. 

The  resolution  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  came  with  startling 
suddenness  this  day  week.  Europe  has  gradually  become  a 
great  camp,  and  two  or  three  short  wars  —  the  war  with  Den¬ 
mark,  the  struggle  which  ended  with  the  peace  of  Villafranca, 
and  the  seven  weeks  war  which  culminated  at  Sadowa  —  were 
all  but  the  preliminary  skirmishes  of  tire  struggle  which  has 
now  begun. 

This  war  is  a  war  of  ideas,  and  it  has  long  been  evident  to  every  observer 
that  such  a  war  must  come  at  length,  unless  one  of  the  two  conflicting  ideas 
were  abandoned.  The  idea  of  German  unity,  of  a  single  and  undivided 
Fatherland  of  all  the  German  people,  cannot  be  realized  without  disap¬ 
pointing  the  French  idea  —  the  idea  that  France  is  to  be  the  first  nation  on 
the  continent,  the  leader  of  civilization,  the  arbiter  of  Europe.  Germany 
one  and  indivisible  would  be  as  great  as  France.  The  political  centre 
might  oscillate  between  Paris  and  Berlin,  if  Berlin  were  the  capital  of  united 
Germany.  Yet  it  is  to  some  such  end  that  the  whole  movement  of  Euro¬ 
pean  politics  has  pointed  for  a  dozen  years  past.  The  French  Emperor 
himself  helped  its  development  when  he  humiliated  Austria  at  Solferino, 
and  he  drew  suddenly  up  in  his  career,  partly  because  he  suddenly  saw 
whither  he  was  going.  Austria  helped  it  when  she  obeyed  the  irresistible 
impulse  of  the  German  people,  and  went  with  Prussia  to  wrest  the  German 


FRIDA  Y,  JUL  Y  22. 


G3 


Holstein  and  the  half-German  Schleswig  from  the  rule  of  the  Dane.  In  1866 
Count  Bismarck  saw  that  the  German  idea  was  ripe  for  realization,  and 
Prussia  won  its  championship  at  Sadowa.  But  for  French  jealousy,  that 
victory  would  have  been  followed  up,  and  Germany  would  have  been  one. 
Moraily  it  has  been  followed  up,  and  hence  the  spectacle  we  have  seen  this 
week.  The  German  people  are  one,  and  Prussia  is  tljeir  leader.  In  de¬ 
claring  war  against  Prussia,  France  has  declared  war  against  the  German 
idea,  and  Germany  rises  as  one  man  in  defence  of  the  German  Father- 
land. 

The  Rhine  cannot  be  forced  in  a  moment,  and  meanwhile  the  stream  of 
soldiers  will  keep  on  continually  flowing  to  the  west,  until  the  North-German 
Confederation  alone  has  lined  the  valley  of  the  river  with  the  700,000  men 
which  constitute  the  active  federal  army  in  its  present  organization.  These 
the  French  will  have  to  fight,  and  if  they  lose  the  first  great  pitched  battle, 
Metz,  Thionville,  Nancy,  will  avail  nothing.  For,  notwithstanding  these 
fortresses,  the  advance  upon  Paris  would  be  made.  If  the  Germans  lose 
the  first  battle,  the  case  is  a  very  different  one.  That  would  bring  the 
French  only  to  the  Rhine,  and  there  a  long  and  tedious  war  would  have  to 
be  begun,  which  would  last  into  the  winter,  and  still  without  the  possibility 
of  any  success  being  obtained  that  would  bend  the  will  of  the  German 
nation. 

Friday,  July  22. — Napoleon  addresses  the  Corps  Legisla- 
tif  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for  the  army.  Pope  Pius  IX. 
proposes  mediation.  The  Kehl  bridge  blown  up  in  front  of 
Strasburg.  Five  French  army  corps  to  the  front.  The  Siecle 
says  France  should  not  stop  fighting  till  Saarlouis,  Landau,  and 
adjacent  cantons  are  conquered  and  made  over  to  France. 
Prussia  declares  that  no  conversation  on  the  Hohenzollern 
candidature  has  ever  been  held  between  the  Chancellor  and 
Count  Benedetti. 


SPEECH  OF  THE  EMPEROR  NAPOLEON. 

Paris,  July  22.  —  The  Emperor  received  the  members  of 
the  Legislative  Body  at  two,  p.m.,  to-day. 

The  President,  M.  Schneider,  addressed  his  Majesty  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 

“  Sire, — The  Legislative  Body  has  terminated  its  labors,  after  voting  all 
the  subsidies  and  laws  necessary  for  the  defence  of  the  country.  Thus  the 
Chamber  has  joined  in  an  effective  proof  of  patriotism.  The  real  author 
of  the  war  is  not  he  by  whom  it  was  declared,  but  he  who  rendered  it 
necessary.  There  will  be  but  one  voice  among  the  people  of  both  hemi¬ 
spheres,  namely,  throwing  the  responsibility  of  the  war  upon  Prussia, 
which,  intoxicated  by  unexpected  success,  and  encouraged  by  our  patience 


FRIDA  y,  JUL  Y  22. 


G5 


on  sovereigns  and  nations,  we  take  up  the  sword  to  defend  the  independence  and  honor 
of  our  country,  ready  to  lay  it  down  the  moment  those  treasures  are  secure.  If  your 
Holiness  could  offer  me  from  him  who  so  unexpectedly  declared  war  assurances  of  sin¬ 
cerely  pacific  dispositions,  and  guarantees  against  a  similar  attempt  upon  the  peace  and 
tranquillity  of  Europe,  it  certainly  will  not  be  I  who  will  refuse  to  receive  them  from  your 
venerable  hands,  united  as  I  am  with  you  in  bonds  of  Christian  charity  and  sincere  friend¬ 
ship. 

“  William.” 

KEHL  BRIDGE  BLOWN  UP. 

Strasburg,  July  22. — The  Prussians  blew  up  the  abut¬ 
ment  on  the  Baden  shore  of  the  bridge  at  Kehl  at  four,  a.m., 
to-day. 

The  explosion  was  terrific.  The  bridge  turrets  were  de¬ 
stroyed,  and  the  debris  thrown  as  far  as  the  French  shore. 

This  bridge  is  built  in  three  portions,  the  centre  resting  upon  four  piers, 
and  a  pivoted  portion  of  either  end  of  about  thirty  yards  in  length.  These 
movable  ends  had  been  swung  back,  but  the  Prussians,  not  satisfied  with 
thus  interrupting  the  traffic,  suddenly  blew  up  their  swinging  portion,  which 
has  fallen  into  the  Rhine.  The  populace  on  the  French  side  were  for  ten 
minutes  greatly  alarmed,  and  there  was  a  complete  sauve  qui  peut.  Some 
fifty  German  cavalry  galloped  about  on  the  opposite  bank,  brandishing  their 
sabres.  Of  course,  this  blowing  up  of  the  bridge  shows  that  the  Prussians 
do  not  intend  to  deliver  an  attack  on  the  Strasburg  side,  and  fear  one  from 
the  French. 

Berlin,  July  22.  —  Large  numbers  of  troops  are  going  for¬ 
ward.  The  Prussian  force  will  be  concentrated  into  three 
armies.  The  first  army,  consisting  of  the  First,  Seventh,  and 
Eighth  Corps,  is  to  be  commanded  by  Gen.  Von  Steinmetz. 
The  second  army,  consisting  of  the  Second,  Third,  Ninth,  and 
Tenth  Corps,  is  to  be  commanded  by  Prince  Frederick  Charles. 
The  third  army,  consisting  of  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  and  Eleventh 
Corps,  is  to  be  commanded  by  the  Crown  Prince,  Frederick 
William. 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  is  raising  a  fourth  army,  to  be 
composed  of  the  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps,  and  two  corps  of 
Saxon  and  Bavarian  guards. 

Steinmetz  is  moving  towards  Saarbriick.  Prince  Charles 
(the  King’s  nephew)  is  moving  up  behind  Steinmetz. 

The  Crown  Prince  is  marching  towards  Weisenburg.  The 
entire  Prussian  force  now  organizing,  when  in  the  field,  will  be 
twelve  corps,  each  of  40,000.  Total,  480,000. 


66 


TIIE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR . 


PRUSSIAN  REPLY  TO  THE  DUKE  DE  GRAMONT. 

Berlin,  yuly  22  {Evening),  — The  following  statement  has  been  pub¬ 
lished  : 

**  In  reference  to  a  circular  of  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  published  yesterday,  and  of  which 
a  telegraphic  summary  has  been  received  here,  alleging  that  the  Chancellor  of  the  North 
German  Confederation  had  declared  the  candidature  of  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  to  be 
impossible,  and  that  the  Under- Secretary  of  State,  Baron  Thile,  had  pledged  his  word  that 
such  a  candidature  did  not  exist,  both  the  Chancellor  and  the  Secretary  declare  officially 
and  in  their  private  capacity  that  not  a  single  word  on  the  subject  has  ever  passed  between 
either  of  them  and  M.  Benedetti,  either  officially  or  in  private  conversation,  since  they  were 
first  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  offer  of  the  Spanish  crown  had  been  made  to  the  Prince  of 
Hohenzollern.” 

TROOPS  TO  THE  FRONT. 

Paris,  July  22  {Evening).  — The  five  army  corps  echeloned 
on  the  frontier  consist  of  340  battalions  of  infantry,  140  squad¬ 
rons  of  cavalry,  and  from  go  to  100  batteries  of  artillery. 
There  still  remain  in  France  of  regular  troops  available  for 
service,  160  battalions  of  infantry,  140  squadrons  of  cavalry, 
and  130  batteries  of  artillery. 

The  whole  Imperial  Guard,  under  General  Bourbalci,  will  be 
concentrated  at  Nancy  this  evening.  No  troops  are  now  left 
in  Strasburg ;  it  is  occupied  by  the  Mobile  Guard.  Three 
camps  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  are  established  at  Metz, 
at  which  place  there  is  also  a  great  concentration  of  war  ma¬ 
terial.  Many  regiments  have  left  Paris  for  Cherbourg,  The 
Sixth  Army  Corps  is  in  course  of  formation  at  Chalons.  No 
headquarters  has  yet  been  fixed  upon  for  the  Seventh  Corps.  It 
is  composed  of  troops  from  Algeria,  and  is  expected  to  form 
either  a  reserve  or  a  corps  for  disembarkation  on  some  point 
of  the  Prussian  territory. 

CIRCUMSTANCES  ALTER  CASES. 

The  Siccle  of  this  evening  says  that  since  France  has  drawn 
the  sword  she  ought  not  to  sheathe  it  without  having  made  her 
frontier  perfectly  secure  towards  Germany,  and  that  the  restitu¬ 
tion  of  Saarlouis  and  Landau ,  with  the  adjacent  cantons,  should 
be  the  minimum  of  her  demands. 

About  200  Deputies  accompanied  M.  Schneider  to  the  Tuil- 
eries  to-day.  The  speech  of  the  Emperor  was  received  with 
enthusiastic  applause.  The  Emperor’s  voice  when  speaking 
betrayed  some  emotion. 


SATURDAY,  JULY  23. 


67 


FIRST  FIGHT. 

Saturday,  July  23. — Prussian  troops  from  Saarlouis  enter 
the  French  territory,  and  advance  a  short  distance  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  St.  Avoid,  where  they  have  a  skirmish  with  the  French 
chasseurs,  and  retire.  Nine  or  ten  wounded,  and  the  first  blood 
of  the  war  shed.  French  reconnoissance  on  Prussian  soil.  De¬ 
monstration  in  favor  of  France  at  Dublin.  Italian  demonstra¬ 
tions  in  favor  of  Prussia  at  Milan,  Padua,  and  Genoa. 

PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  EMPEROR  NAPOLEON. 

Paris,  July  23.  —  The  Emperor  has  addressed  the  following 
proclamation  to  the  French  people  : 

“Frenchmen,  —  There  are  solemn  moments  in  the  life  of 
peoples  when  the  national  honor,  violently  excited,  imposes  it¬ 
self  with  irresistible  force,  dominates  all  interests,  and  alone 
takes  in  hand  the  direction  of  the  destinies  of  the  country. 

One  of  those  decisive  hours  has  sounded  for  France.  Prussia,  to  whom, 
both  during  and  since  the  war  of  1866,  we  have  shown  the  most  concilia¬ 
tory  disposition,  has  taken  no  account  of  our  good  wishes  and  our  forbear¬ 
ance.  Launched  on  the  path  of  invasion,  she  has  aroused  defiance,  every¬ 
where  necessitated  exaggerated  armaments,  and  has  turned  Europe  into  a 
camp,  where  nothing  but  uncertainty  and  fear  of  the  morrow  reigns.  A 
late  incident  has  come  to  show  the  instability  of  international  relations,  and 
to  prove  the  gravity  of  the  situation.  In  presence  of  the  new  pretensions 
of  Prussia  we  made  our  protestations  to  be  heard.  They  were  evaded,  and 
were  followed  on  the  part  of  Prussia  by  contemptuous  proceedings.  Our 
country  has  resented  this  with  profound  irritation,  and  immediately  a  cry 
for  war  resounded  from  one  end  of  France  to  the  other.  It  only  remains  to 
us  to  confide  our  destinies  to  the  decision  of  arms.  We  do  not  make  war  on 
Germany,  whose  independence  we  respect.  Let  us  wish  that  the  peoples 
who  compose  the  great  German  nationality  may  freely  dispose  of  their  des¬ 
tinies.  For  ourselves,  we  demand  the  establishment  of  a  state  of  affairs 
which  shall  guarantee  our  security  and  assure  our  future.  We  wish  to  con¬ 
quer  a  lasting  peace  based  on  the  true  interests  of  peoples,  and  to  put  an 
end  to  the  precarious  state  in  which  all  nations  employ  their  resources  to 
arm  themselves  one  against  the  other.  The  glorious  flag  which  we  once 
more  unfurl  before  those  who  have  provoked  us,  is  the  same  which  bore 
throughout  Europe  the  civilizing  ideas  of  our  great  revolution.  It  repre¬ 
sents  the  same  principles,  and  inspires  the  same  devotion.  Frenchmen,  I 
place  myself  at  the  head  of  that  valiant  army  which  is  animated  by  love  of 
duty  and  of  country.  It  knows  its  own  worth,  since  it  has  seen  how  vic¬ 
tory  has  accompanied  its  march  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  world.  I  shall 
take  my  son  with  me,  despite  his  youth.  lie  knows  what  are  the  duties 
which  his  name  imposes  upon  him,  and  he  is  proud  to  bear  his  share  in  the 


GS 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


dangers  of  those  who  fight  for  their  country.  May  God  bless  our  efforts. 
A  great  people  who  defend  a  just  cause  are  invincible.  “  Napoleon.” 

An  Imperial  decree,  dated  July  23,  appoints  the  Empress  Regent  during 
the  absence  of  the  Emperor  with  the  army. 


FIRST  BLOOD  ! 

Saarbruck,  July  23. 

The  French  custom-house  officer  opposite  Saarlouis  fired 
upon  a  Prussian  cavalry  patrol,  and  wounded  two  horses.  A 
company  of  Prussian  infantry  has  captured  the  French  custom¬ 
house  at  Schrecklingen,  near  Saarlouis,  together  with  the  treas¬ 
ury.  The  customs’  officers  were  killed  or  taken  prisoners. 
On  the  Prussian  side  one  officer  was  wounded. 

Sunday,  July  24. — The  Bank  of  Frankfort  loans  the  Prus¬ 
sian  Government  five  million  of  thalers.  Fight  at  Gersweiler. 
Skirmishing  at  Haguenau.  Italy  announces  her  neutrality. 
The  American  press  sympathize  with  Prussia. 


FIGHTING. 

Saarbruck  (Rhenish  Prussia),  July  24.  — A  French  divis¬ 
ion  is  quartered  at  Forbach.  Early  this  morning  a  skirmish 
took  place  at  Gersweiler,  when  the  French  troops  were  driven 
back  with  a  loss  of  ten  men.  There  was  no  loss  on  the  Prus¬ 
sian  side.  The  Prussian  soldiers  assert  that  the  needle  gun 
proved  fully  equal  to  the  chassepot.  At  the  same  time  a  regi¬ 
ment  of  mounted  chasseurs  made  a  reconnoissance  on  Prussian 
territory.  The  Prussians  appear  to  be  assuming  the  offensive. 

THE  AMERICAN  PRESS. 

New  York,  July  24.  —  The  sentiment  of  the  press  in  the 
United  States  is  unanimously  in  favor  of  Prussia.  The  New 
York  Tribune  accuses  Napoleon  of  committing  France  to  the 
most  atrocious  of  modern  wars,  and  says  that  this  is  a  contest 
between  the  people  of  Prussia  and  the  Napoleonic  dynasty  for 
the  integrity  of  the  Prussian  nationality.  The  New  York 
Times  takes  substantially  the  same  view.  The  Herald  de¬ 
nounces  the  action  of  the  Emperor  as  prompted  by  purely  dy¬ 
nastic  considerations,  with  which  the  friends  of  the  people  have 
no  sympathy.  The  World  alone  among  the  leading  New  York 


MONDA  Y,  JUL  Y  25. 


CD 


papers  is  on  the  side  of  France.  The  pens  of  Mr.  Marble  and 
George  Wilkes  have  been  no  mean  supporters  of  the  Empire, 
though  they  have  battled  almost  even-handed.  The  World  has 
been  ably  represented  in  the  war  by  the  Rev.  M.  D.  Conway, 
formerly  of  Cincinnati,  while  “ Massachusetts"  has  contributed 
able  papers  on  the  war  to  the  Times.  W.  H.  Russell  en¬ 
gaged  to  furnish  war  news  for  the  Sun,  but  King  William 
would  not  permit  him  to  send  cable  despatches  from  the  field. 

The  American  press  are  naturally  with  France,  but  feel  a 
deep  resentment  against  the  Emperor :  first,  on  account  of  the 
coup  detat;  secondly,  on  account  of  the  Mexican  invasion; 
and,  thirdly,  an  account  of  his  hostility  towards  the  North  dur¬ 
ing  the  late  war. 

Monday,  July  25.  —  The  secret  treaty  between  France  and 
Prussia  on  the  subject  of  Belgium  made  public.  Great  sensa¬ 
tion  in  England  and  on  the  Continent. 

The  London  Times  prints  a  secret  treaty  proposed  in  1866 
to  France  by  Prussia.  In  the  first  article  Napoleon  admits 
and  recognizes  the  late  acquisitions  of  Prussia  from  Austria. 
In  the  second,  the  Prussian  King  engages  to  facilitate  the 
French  acquisition  of  Luxemburg.  In  the  third,  the  Emperor 
acquiesces  in  the  union  of  the  North  and  South  German 
States,  Austria  excepted.  In  the  fourth,  France,  finding  it  nec¬ 
essary  to  absorb  Belgium,  Prussia  lends  her  assistance  to  that 
measure.  The  fifth  article  is  the  usual  one  of  offensive  and 
defensive  alliance  between  the  two  nations. 

The  expose  of  the  treaty  shows  consummate  diplomacy  on  the 
part  of  Bismarck  to  secure  the  neutrality  of  Luxemburg,  the 


*  A  revolution  in  American  public  sentiment  came  with  the  first  announcement  of  the 
French  Republic.  Prussia’s  strongest  supporters  abandoned  her  to  her  victories,  and  D  Id 
out  their  hands  to  the  infant  Democracy.  The  “lost  cause”  of  a  Republic  was  be..er 
than  a  king’s  magnificent  victories.  The  hatchet  raised  against  Napoleon  and  Ca;sar»>in 
fell  harmless  when  the  young  Republic  held  out  her  beeseeching  hands.  Even  Geo-  ;e 
Smalley,  quick  to  defend  Prussia  when  attacked,  could  not  forget  the  triumph  of  d  id 
Victor  Noir  and  prison-freed  Rochefort,  but  with  a  splendid  frankness  he  instantly  dccid  d 
for  that  new  liberty  for  which  Victor  Noir  had  died.  He  was  only  one  among  a  thousa.i  l. 
The  young  Republic  was  born  without  an  American  enemy,  and  she  will  die  (may  God  lor- 
bid  !j  with  an  American  benediction.  The  American  press  —  the  Herald ,  Tribune% 
Times ,  Post,  and  Sun  —  all  joined  voices  in  one  warm  Vive  la  Republique  ! 


70 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Netherlands,  and  Belgium.  England,  the  friend  of  Belgium, 
alienated  from  France.  Ollivier  and  Benedetti  deny  the  state¬ 
ment  of  Bismarck. 


THE  SECRET  TREATY. 

Remark,  July  25. 

This  celebrated  treaty,  proposed  by  Benedetti  to  Bismarck, 
has  roused  the  indignation  of  Europe.  Such  a  treaty,  had  it 
been  signed  by  Prussia,  would  have  destroyed  the  Governments 
of  Luxemburg  and  Belgium,  and  blotted  out  their  territorial 
lines.  The  Belgians  now  see  on  what  a  dangerous  mine  they 
were  standing.  Belgium  sees  now  how  false  were  the  Emper¬ 
or’s  professions  of  friendship ;  how,  under  the  guise  of  friend¬ 
ship,  he  was  even  intriguing  against  her  national  existence. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the  authenticity  of  the  treaty. 
Benedetti  himself  has  acknowledged  it,  and  tried  to  account 
for  its  existence  to  the  satisfaction  of  Europe.  The  world 
stands  aghast  at  this  fearful  diplomatic  intrigue,  which  Bis¬ 
marck,  in  an  international  quarrel,  has  exposed.  The  war  has 
warned  Belgium  to  beware  of  Napoleon  III.  England,  the 
champion  of  Belgium,  throbs  with  sympathy  for  its  threatened 
ally.  The  following  is  a  translation  of  this 
SECRET  TREATY 

which  Benedetti  proposed  to  Count  Bismarck : 

“draught  treaty.” 

“His  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  and  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French,  judg¬ 
ing  it  useful  to  bind  closer  the  ties  of  friendship  which  unite  them,  and  so  confirm  the  re¬ 
lations  of  good  neighborhood  which  happily  exist  between  the  two  countries,  and  being 
beside  convinced  that  to  attain  this  result,  which  is,  moreover,  of  a  kind  to  insure  the 
maintenance  of  the  general  peace,  it  is  for  their  interest  to  come  to  an  understanding  on 
the  questions  concerning  their  future  relations,  have  resolved  to  conclude  a  Treaty  to  the 
following  effect,  and  have,  in  consequence,  nominated  as  their  representatives  the  follow¬ 
ing  persons,  viz.  : 

“  His  Majesty,  etc. 

“His  Majesty,  etc. 

Who,  after  exchanging  their  full  powers,  which  have  been  found  in  good  and  due  form, 
have  agreed  on  the  following  Articles  : 

Art.  I.  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French  acquiesces  in  and  recognizes  the  gains 
made  by  Prussia  in  the  course  of  the  last  war  waged  by  her  against  Austria,  and  that 
Power’s  allies. 

“Art.  II.  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia  engages  to  facilitate  the  acquisition  by 
France  of  Luxemburg ;  and  for  this  purpose  His  Majesty  will  enter  into  negotiations  with 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Netherlands,  with  the  view  of  inducing  him  to  cede  his  sov- 


MONDAY,  JULY  25. 


71 


ereign  rights  over  the  Duchy  to  the  Emperor  of  the  French,  on  the  terms  of  such  compen¬ 
sation  as  shall  be  judged  adequate  or  otherwise.  The  Emperor  of  the  French,  on  his  side, 
engages  to  assume  whatever  pecuniary  charges  this  arrangement  may  involve. 

“  Art.  III.  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French  shall  raise  no  opposition  to  a  fed¬ 
eral  union  of  the  Confederation-  of  North  Germany  with  the  States  of  South  Germany, 
excepting  Austria,  and  this  federal  union  may  be  based  on  one  common  Parliament ;  due 
reservation,  however,  being  made  of  the  sovereignty  of  the  said  States. 

“  Art.  IV.  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Prussia,  on  his  side,  in  case  His  Majesty  the  Em¬ 
peror  of  the  French  should  be  led  by  circumstances  to  cause  his  troops  to  enter  Belgium  or 
to  conquer  it,  shall  grant  armed  aid  to  France,  and  shall  support  her  with  all  his  forces, 
military  and  naval,  in  the  face  of  and  against  every  Power  which  should,  in  this  eventual¬ 
ity,  declare  war. 

“  Art.  V.  To  insure  the  complete  execution  of  the  preceding  conditions,  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Prussia  and  His  Majesty  the  Emperor  of  the  French  contract,  by  the  present 
Treaty,  an  alliance  offensive  and  defensive,  which  they  solemnly  engage  to  maintain. 
Their  Majesties  bind  themselves,  besides  and  in  particular,  to  observe  its  terms  in  all 
cases  when  their  respective  States,  the  integrity  of  which  they  reciprocally  guarantee,  may 
be  threatened  with  attack;  and  they  shall  hold  themselves  bound,  in  any  like  conjuncture, 
to  undertake  without  delay,  and  under  no  pretext  to  decline,  whatever  military  arrange¬ 
ments  may  be  enjoined  by  their  common  interest  conformably  to  the  terms  and  provisions 
above  declared.” 

This  is  the  proposed  treaty  which  has  set  Europe  in  a  fer¬ 
ment.  Its  expose  by  Bismarck  was  disastrous  to  French  sym¬ 
pathy  in  Europe.  What  was  France  to  do  ?  There  was  noth¬ 
ing  to  do  but  to  make  a  denial.  So  the  pens  of  Ollivier  and 
Benedetti  came  out  in  the  following 

FRENCH  DENIALS. 

Paris,  July  29,  1870. 

To  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  : 

Monsieur  le  Due  :  However  unjust  may  have  been  the  criticisms  of  which  I  was  per¬ 
sonally  the  object  when  the  fact  became  known  in  France  that  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern 
had  accepted  the  crown  of  Spain,  I  did  not  feel  called  on  to  notice  them,  and,  as  was 
mv  duty,  I  left  to  His  Majesty’s  Government  the  care  of  rectifying  them.  I  cannot  main¬ 
tain  the  same  silence  in  presence  of  the  use  which  Count  Bismarck  has  made  of  a  document 
to  which  he  seeks  to  assign  a  value  it  never  possessed,  and  I  ask  permission  from  your  Ex¬ 
cellency  to  re-establish  the  facts  in  all  their  exactitude.  It  is  a  matter  of  public  notoriety 
that  the  Chancellor  offered  to  us,  before  and  during  the  last  war,  to  assist  in  re-uniting  Bel¬ 
gium  to  France,  in  compensation  for  the  aggrandizements  which  he  aimed  at,  and  which  he 
has  obtained  for  Prussia.  I  might  on  this  point  invoke  the  testimony  of  the  whole  diplo¬ 
macy  of  Europe,  which  was  aware  of  everything  that  was  going  on.  The  French  Govern¬ 
ment  constantly  declined  those  overtures,  and  one  of  your  predecessors,  M.  Drouyn  de 
Lhuys,  is  in  a  position  to  give  on  this  point  explanations  which  would  not  leave  any  doubt 
subsisting.  At  the  moment  when  the  peace  of  Prague  was  concluded,  and  in  presence  of 
the  excitement  raised  in  France  by  the  annexation  of  Hanover,  Electoral  Hesse,  and  the 
City  of  Frankfort  to  Prussia,  Count  Bismarck  again  testified  the  most  ardent  desire  to  re¬ 
establish  the  equilibrium  broken  by  these  acquisitions.  Various  combinations  respecting 
the  integrity  of  the  States  bordering  on  France  and  Germany  were  suggested  ;  they  be¬ 
came  the  object  of  several  interviews,  during  which  the  Count  always  endeavored  to  make 
his  personal  ideas  prevail.  In  one  of  those  conversations,  and  in  order  to  form  a  thorough 
comprehension  of  his  intentions,  I  consented  to  transcribe  them,  in  some  sort,  under  his 
dictation.  The  form,  no  less  than  the  substance,  clearly  demonstrates  that  I  confined  my¬ 
self  to  reproducing  a  project  conceived  and  developed  by  him.  Count  Bismarck  kept  the 
paper,  desiring  to  submit  it  to  the  King.  On  my  side,  I  reported  to  the  Imperial  Govern- 


72 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


ment  the  communications  which  had  been  made  to  me.  The  Emperor  rejected  them 
as  soon  as  they  were  brought  to  his  knowledge.  I  ought  to  say  that  the  King  of  Prussia 
himself  appeared  unwilling  to  accept  the  basis  suggested,  and  since  that  period  —  that  is  to 
say,  during  the  last  four  years  —  I  have  had  no  further  exchange  of  ideas  with  Count  Bis¬ 
marck  on  the  subject.  If  the  initiation  of  such  a  treaty  had  been  taken  by  the  Emperor’s 
Government  the  draft  would  have  been  prepared  at  the  Ministry,  and  I  should  not  have 
had  to  produce  a  copy  in  my  own  handwriting ;  besides,  it  would  have  been  differently 
worded,  and  negotiations  would  have  been  carried  on  simultaneously  in  Paris  and  Berlin. 
In  that  case  the  Prussian  Minister  would  not  have  contented  himself  with  handing,  indi¬ 
rectly,  the  text  over  to  publication,  especially  at  the  moment  when  your  Excellency  was 
rectifying  in  the  despatches  which  were  inserted  in  the  Journal  Officiel ,  other  errors 
which  attempts  were  being  made  to  propagate.  But  to  attain  his  aim  —  that  of  mislead¬ 
ing  public  opinion  and  forestalling  any  indiscretions  which  we  might  ourselves  commit  —  he 
has  adopted  this  expedient,  which  dispensed  him  from  specifying  at  what  moment,  under 
what  circumstances,  and  in  what  manner,  that  document  was  written.  He  evidently  en¬ 
tertained  the  idea  of  suggesting,  owing  to  those  omissions,  conjectures  which,  while  disen¬ 
gaging  his  personal  responsibility,  would  compromise  that  of  the  Emperor’s  Government. 
There  is  no  need  to  qualify  such  proceedings  ;  to  point  them  out  and  deliver  them  to  the 
judgment  of  the  public  in  Europe,  is  sufficient.  Accept,  etc. 

V.  Benedetti. 

EMILE  OLLIVIER’S  DENIAL 

is  as  follows  : 

•  Paris,  July  26,  1870. 

My  dear  Friend,  — How  could  you  believe  there  was  any  truth  in  the  Treaty  the  Times 
has  published?  I  assure  you  that  the  Cabinet  of  the  2d  of  January  never  negotiated  or 
concluded  anything  of  the  kind  with  Prussia.  I  will  even  tell  you  that  it  has  negotiated 
nothing  at  all  with  her.  The  only  negotiations  that  have  existed  between  us  have  been 
indirect,  confidential,  and  had  Lord  Clarendon  for  their  intermediary.  Since  Mr.  Glad¬ 
stone  slightly  raised  the  veil  in  one  of  his  speeches,  we  may  allow  ourselves  to  say,  that  the 
object  of  those  negotiations,  so  honorable  to  Lord  Clarendon,  was  to  assure  the  peace  of 
Europe  by  a  reciprocal  disarmament.  You  will  admit  that  this  does  not  much  resemble  the 
conduct  of  Ministers  who  seek  a  pretext  for  war.  You  know  the  value  I  set  upon  the  con¬ 
fidence  and  friendship  of  the  great  English  nation.  The  union  of  the  two  countries  has 
always  seemed  to  me  the  most  essential  condition  of  the  world’s  progress.  And  for  that 
reason  I  earnestly  beg  you  to  contradict  all  those  false  reports,  spread  by  persons  who  have 
an  interest  in  dividing  us.  We  have  no  secret  policy  hidden  behind  our  avowed  policy. 
Our  policy  is  single,  public,  loyal,  without  arri&res  J>ensees ;  we  do  not  belong  to  the 
school  of  those  who  think  might  is  superior  to  right ;  we  believe,  on  the  contrary,  that  right 
will  always  prevail  in  the  end ;  and  it  is  because  the  right  is  on  our  side  in  the  war  now 
beginning,  that,  with  the  help  of  God,  we  reckon  upon  victory.  Affectionate  salutations 
from  your  servant.  (Signed)  Emile  Ollivier. 


BISMARCK  DENIES  AND  CHARGES  AS  FALSEHOODS 
the  statements  of  Ollivier  and  Benedetti,  and  affirms  that  Ben¬ 
edetti  has  desired  to  make  other  secret  treaties ,  looking  to  the 
destruction  of  the  smaller  powers ,  or  their  absorption  by  France. 
He  thus  writes  to  the  North  German  ambassador  in  London  : 
To  Count  Bernstorff  :  Berlin,  July  29. 

Y our  Excellency  will  be  good  enough  to  communicate  the  following  to 
Lord  Granville :  The  document  published  by  the  Times  contains  one  of 
the  proposals  which  have  been  made  to  us  since  the  Danish  war,  by  official 
and  unofficial  French  agents,  with  the  object  of  establishing  an  alliance 
between  Prussia  and  France  for  their  mutual  aggrandizement.  I  will  send 
the  text  of  an  offer  made  in  1866,  according  to  which  France  proposed  to 
aid  Prussia  with  300,000  men  against  Austria,  and  to  permit  Prussia’s 
aggrandizement  by  six  or  eight  millions  of  subjects,  in  return  for  the 


MONDAY,  JULY  25. 


cession  to  Fiance  of  the  district  between  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle.  The 
impossibility  of  agreeing  to  this  course  was  clear  to  all  except  French  diplo¬ 
matists.  On  this  proposition  being  rejected,  the  French  Government  began 
to  calculate  upon  our  defeat.  France  has  not  ceased  to  tempt  us  with  offers, 
to  be  carried  out  at  the  cost  of  Germany  and  Belgium.  In  the  interests  of 
peace  I  kept  them  secret.  After  the  Luxemburg  affair,  the  proposals  deal¬ 
ing  with  Belgium  and  South  Germany  were  renewed.  M.  Benedetti’s  man¬ 
uscript  belongs  to  this  period.  It  is  not  likely  that  M.  Benedetti  acted 
without  the  Emperor’s  sanction.  Finally,  the  conviction  that  no  extension 
of  territory  was  attainable  in  conjunction  with  us,  must  have  matured  the 
resolve  to  obtai}i  it  by  fighting  us.  I  have  even  grounds  for  believing  that, 
had  not  this  project  been  made  public  after  our  armaments  on  both  sides 
were  complete,  France  would  have  proposed  to  us  jointly  to  carry  out  M. 
Benedetti’s  programme  against  unarmed  Europe,  and  to  conclude  peace  at 
Belgium' s  cost.  If  the  French  Cabinet  now  repudiates  aims,  for  our  par¬ 
ticipation  in  which  it  has  uninterruptedly  labored  since  1864,  either  by 
demands  or  promises,  this  is  easily  to  be  explained  by  the  present  political 
situation. 

I  enclose  to  you,  for  Lord  Granville,  the  original  copy  of  Benedetti’s  pro¬ 
posed  second  secret  treaty,  referred  to,  presented  in  his  own  handwriting : 

SECRET  TREATY  NO.  2. 

Art.  I. — The  French  empire  again  assumes  possession  of  the  territory  which  belonged  to 
France  in  1814,  and  is  now  part  of  the  dominions  of  Prussia. 

Art.  II. —  If  Prussia  pledges  herself  to  obtain  from  the  King  of  Bavaria  and  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Hesse  the  cession  of  the  territory  which  they  possess  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine, 
and  to  transfer  its  possession  to  France,  an  indemnification  of  the  two  German  princes  is 
reserved. 

Art.  III. — All  the  provisions  uniting  the  territory  which  is  under  the  sovereignty  of  the 
King  of  the  Netherlands  to  the  Germanic  Confederation,  as  well  as  those  which  refer  to 
the  rights  of  garrison  in  the  fortress  of  Luxemburg,  are  annulled. 

The  following  letter,  referring  to  the  above  treaty,  is  likewise  preserved  in  Berlin  in  Ben¬ 
edetti’s  own  handwriting  ; 

My  dear  President  :  In  reply  to  the  communications  which  I  have  sent  from  Nichols- 
burg  to  Paris,  in  consequence  of  our  interview  of  the  26th  ult.,  I  have  received  from  Vichy 
the  copy  of  a  secret  treaty,  of  which  I  enclose  a  copy.  I  hasten  to  communicate  it  to  you, 
in  order  that  you  may  be  able  to  examine  it  at  your  leisure.  I  am  at  your  disposition  to 
confer  with  you  about  it  whenever  you  think  the  right  moment  to  have  come.  Yours, 

Sunday,  Aug.  5,  1866.  Benedetti. 

One  or  two  days  before  the  5th  of  August, 

BENEDETTI  DEMANDED  FROM  BISMARCK 

the  formal  acceptance  of  the  above  concessions ;  adding  that,  incase  they 
should  be  refused,  there  would  be  war  ( alors  e'est  la  guerre).  Bismarck 
replied,  Mors  e'est  la  guerre  ;  and  added  that  it  appeared  to  him  incredible 
4 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  USSTAN  WAR. 


74 

that  F ranee  should  think  of  seriously  demanding  concessions  which  it  was 
so  entirely  impossible  to  carry  out.  Benedetti  replied  that  he  should  advise 
the  Emperor  to  insist  on  the  demands,  as  nothing  concerned  him  more  than 
the  preservation  of  the  Imperial  dynasty,  for  which  the  extension  of  the 
French  frontier  was  a  vital  question. 

Tuesday,  July  26. —  Continued  skirmishing  at  the  front. 
French  troops  withdraw  from  Rome.  The  Emperor’s  horses 
and  camp  service  arrive  at  Metz. 


WITHDRAWAL  OF  FRENCH  TROOPS  FROM  ROME. 

Rome,  July  26. —  The  French  troops  here  have  received  or¬ 
ders  to  leave  the  Pontifical  territory.  In  announcing  this  res¬ 
olution  to  the  Holy  See,  the  French  Government  represented 
the  necessity  of  France  having  the  services  of  all  her  available 
troops  at  this  moment,  and  announced  that  the  Italian  Govern¬ 
ment,  in  conformity  with  the  September  Convention,  would 
undertake  to  secure  respect  for  the  Pontifical  territory  on  the 
Italian  frontiers. 

Treves  (Rhenish  Prussia),  July  26.  —  This  afternoon 
more  than  100  soldiers  from  the  French  camp  at  Sierck 
entered  the  village  of  Schengen,  in  Luxemburg.  They  re¬ 
mained  there,  singing  the  “  Marseillaise.” 

Tuesday,  July  27. — A  state  of  siege  proclaimed  in  Metz, 
Thionville,  Longwy,  Bitche,  Marsal,  Pfalsburg,  Montmedy, 
Verdun,  and  Strasburg.  Day  of  fasting  and  prayer  in  Ger¬ 
many. 


THE  STRONGHOLD  OF  EASTERN  FRANCE. 

Metz,  yuly  2.  —  Metz  has  been  constituted  the  grand  starting-point  of 
French  operations.  It  is  not  only  a  first-class  fortress,  but  has  a  powder 
factory,  an  arsenal,  and  is  the  grand  school  for  the  artillery  and  engineers. 
It  has  often  been  debated  whether  the  advantages  of  possessing  a  place  of 
such  vast  military  importance  so  near  the  frontier  were  not  more  than  coun¬ 
terbalanced  by  the  terrible  misfortune  that  it  must  prove  to  France  should 
so  large  a  portion  of  her  fighting  resources  as  are  contained  in  Metz  be, 
either  by  accident  or  superior  force,  wrested  from  her.  But  if  the  war  is  to 
be  commenced  by  a  panther-like  spring,  made  with  the  whole  of  France’s 


THURSDAY ,  JULY  28. 


75 


concentrated  military  strength,  upon  the  Prussian  right,  then  the  position  of 
Metz,  both  as  a  fortress  and  as  a  grand  factory  of  warlike  material,  will 
prove  as  valuable  as  though  its  exact  location  had  been  determined  for  the 
purpose  of  opening  this  campaign  with  a  clap  of  thunder. 

Thursday,  July  28.  —  Arrival  of  the  Emperor  and  Prince 
Imperial  at  Metz.  He  addresses  the  army.  Both  armies  con¬ 
centrating  on  the  border  at  Saarbriick,  Bitche,  and  Weisen- 
burg.  Warm  skirmishing  all  day  at  Saarbriick. 


FRENCH  AND  PRUSSIANS  IN  FORCE. 

Saarbruck.  —  Prussian  reconnoitring  parties  crossed  the 
frontier,  and  came  upon  the  French  troops  at  all  points.  In 
spite  of  a  heavy  fire  opened  upon  them  by  the  enemy,  the 
Prussians  suffered  no  losses.  In  the  afternoon  the  French  ad¬ 
vanced  with  artillery,  throwing  shells,  which,  however,  only  hit 
some  of  the  houses  of  the  town,  and  inflicted  no  damage  upon 
the  troops.  After  a  short  cannonade  the  French  troops  retired 
across  the  frontier. 

THE  EMPEROR  AT  THE  FRONT. 

Metz,  July  2&,  7.40  p.m. — The  Emperor,  the  Prince  Im¬ 
perial,  and  Prince  Napoleon  arrived  at  Metz  at  seven  o’clock. 
Accompanied  by  the  Cent  Gardes,  they  proceeded  through  the 
town  to  the  Prefecture.  The  carriage  of  the  Prince  Imperial 
and  the  Cent  Gardes  were  smothered  with  flags  and  flowers. 
The  Imperial  party  was  received  at  the  station  by  Marshal  Le- 
bcfiuf  and  suite.  The  “Marseillaise”  was  sung  by  the  people. 
There  was  no  ceremonial  reception. 

Just  before  the  arrival  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon,  the  follow¬ 
ing  proclamation  to  the  French  army  was  posted  over  the  town  : 

“  Soldats —  Je  viens  me  mettre  a  votre  t&te  pour  defendre  l’honneur  et  Ie  sol  de  la 
patrie.  Vous  allez  combattre  une  des  meilleures  arm6es  de  l’Europe  ;  mais  d’autres,  qui 
valaient  autant  qu’elle,  n’ont  pu  r6sister  a  votre  bravoure.  II  en  sera  de  m&me  aujourd- 
hui.  La  guerre  qui  commence  sera  longue  et  penible,  car  elle  aura  pour  theatre  des  lieux 
hGrisses  d’obstacles  et  de  forteresses  ;  mais  rien  n’est  au6dessus  des  efforts  pers6v6rants  des 
soldats  d’Afrique,  de  Crim6e,  de  Chine,  d’ltalie  et  du  Mexique.  Vous  prouverez  une  fois 
de  plus  ce  que  peut  une  arm6e  frangaisc,  anim6  du  sentiment  du  devoir,  maintenue  par  la 
discipline,  enflamm6e  par  l'amour  de  la  patrie.  Quelque  soit  le  chemin  que  nous  prenions 
hors  de  nos  frontieres,  nous  y  trouverons  les  traces  glorieuses  de  nos  peres.  Nous  nous 
montrerons  dignes  d’eux  La  France  entierevous  suit  de  ses  vceux  ardents  etl’univers  a  les 
yeux  sur  vous.  De  nos  succes  depend  le  sort  de  la  libert6  et  de  la  civilisation.  Soldats, 


76 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


que  chacun  fasse  son  devoir,  et  lc  Dieu  des  arm6es  sera  avec  nous  !  Au  quartier  Im¬ 
perial  de  Metz,  le  28  Juillet  1870.  — Napoleon.” 

[TRANSLATION.] 

Soldiers,  —  I  have  come  to  place  myself  at  your  head,  to  defend  the 
honor  and  the  soil  of  the  country.  You  go  forth  to  fight  against  one  of 
the  best  armies  in  Europe  ;  but  others  of  equal  excellence  have  been  unable 
to  resist  your  bravery.  It  will  be  so  now.  The  war  which  is  commencing 
will  be  long  and  difficult,  for  its  seat  will  be  places  bristling  with  obstacles 
and  fortresses ;  but  nothing  is  beyond  the  persevering  efforts  of  the  soldiers 
of  Africa,  the  Crimea,  China,  Italy,  and  Mexico.  Once  again  you  will 
show  what  can  be  done  by  a  French  army,  animated  by  the  sentiment  of 
duty,  sustained  by  discipline,  fired  by  love  of  country.  Whatever  road  we 
may  take  beyond  our  frontiers,  we  shall  find  there  the  glorious  traces  of  our 
fathers.  We  shall  prove  ourselves  worthy  of  them.  All  France  is 
following  you  with  ardent  wishes,  and  the  eyes  of  the  world  are  upon  you. 
The  fate  of  liberty  and  civilization  depends  on  our  success.  Soldiers,  let 
each  of  you  do  his  duty,  and  the  God  of  battles  will  be  with  us. 

Napoleon. 

Imperial  Headquarters,  Metz,  July  28,  1870. 

WARM  SKIRMISHING. 

(  Translated  from  the  German.') 

Saarbruck,  Thursday,  July  28.  —  A  company  of  infantry 
and  a  squadron  of  uhlans  entered  the  town  this  morning. 

About  fifty  infantry  have  gone  out  to  reconnoitre.  The  re¬ 
port  of  thirty  or  forty  infantry  from  Saarlouis  discomfiting  a 
squadron  of  cavalry  and  three  companies  of  infantry  —  250  or 
300  men  —  is  confirmed. 

The  owner  of  a  mill  near  Ludweilen,  where  the  skirmish 
took  place,  came  into  the  town  this  morning  with  the  intelli¬ 
gence  that  six  French  pieces  of  artillery  had  appeared  on  the 
top  of  a  neighboring  hill.  This  is  the  first  artillery  that  has 
been  seen. 

The  bridges  here  over  the  Saar  have  for  some  time  been 
barricaded  with  casks  filled  with  large  stones,  a  narrow  passage 
being  left  for  the  present  traffic.  The  railway  bridge  is  also 
not  in  a  condition  to  be  of  much  service  to  the  French.  But 


FRIDA  Y,  JUL  V  29. 


77 


the  chance  of  a  sudden  attack  is  over,  and  it  would  make  very 
little  difference  to  either  side  if  the  French  were  allowed  to 
take  possession  of  Saarbriick.  Up  till  yesterday  the  weather 
was  very  sultry,  and  the  air  so  thick  that  very  little  could  be 
made  out  of  the  movements  of  the  French  outposts.  Yester¬ 
day  there  was  a  thunderstorm,  and  this  morning  it  was  clear. 
It  is  thought  there  may  be  a  battle  about  Monday  or  Tuesday. 
Prince  Friedrich  Karl  is  expected  at  Kreuznach,  and  the  Crown 
Prince  at  Kaiserslautern. 

The  French  band  is  playing  on  the  top  of  the  hill  behind 
Saarbriick.  The  French  shoot  at  any  one  who  walks  along  the 
Forbach  road.  One  has  to  look  out. 

Four  P.M.  —  Four  artillery  shots  this  moment. 

Eleven  P.M.  — The  drums  beat,  the  population  turned  out 
into  the  streets,  and  the  troops  took  up  their  position  on  the 
bridges  among  the  barricades.  A  crowd  came  along  the  main 
street  of  St.  Johann,  and  gathered  round  a  man  who  was  bring¬ 
ing  in  the  first  shell  fired.  It  had  struck  a  soft  piece  of  ground, 
and  had  not  exploded.  It  is  the  first  shell  fired  in  the  war,  and 
it  will  probably  be  preserved  with  honor,  and  become  historical. 
The  little  Bellevue  Inn,  at  the  top  of  the  hill  behind  the  town, 
is  the  spot  where  the  picket  is  stationed. 

It  is  the  first  house  ruined  by  the  war.  It  was  this  that  the 
French  took  as  a  mark  for  their  artillery,  in  order  to  get  the 
range  of  the  town  for  some  future  occasion.  A  shell  went 
through  the  front  wall  into  the  room,  exploded  inside,  broke 
up  both  floor  and  ceiling,  and  turned  it  into  a  wreck  of  boards, 
table-legs,  and  broken  glass.  Another  shell  struck  the  face  of 
the  house  higher  up,  and  made  a  great  dent,  without  doing 
further  mischief.  Another  went  through  the  roof  of  the  stables 
behind.  Nobody  was  in  the  house  at  the  time  ;  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  had  decamped  at  the  first  sight  of  French  artillery.  Only 
six  or  seven  shells  were  fired.  The  artillery  firing  of  the  French 
to-day  was  very  good. 

Friday,  July  29.  —  The  Emperor  assumes  command  of  the 
army.  The  Departments  of  the  Moselle,  Haut-Rhin,  and  Bas- 
Rhin  declared  in  a  state  of  siege.  French  fleet  arrives  at  Co¬ 
penhagen.  The  French  dig  German  potatoes. 


Metz,  July  29.  —  The  Emperor  assumed  to-day  the  chief  command 


78 


THE  FRAN  CO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


of  the  army.  His  Majesty  held  a  conference  with  the  major-generals, 
and  will  visit  to-day  the  camp  of  the  Second  Corps.  The  Prince  Imperial 
visited  the  camp,  and  was  loudly  cheered.  The  sanitary  condition  of  the 
army  is  excellent. 

SAARBRUCK. 

( Translated  from  the  German .) 

Friday  Morning,  July  29,  8  A.M. — All  quiet.  There 
has  been  no  attack. 

It  begins  to  look  like  war.  The  German  soldiers  are  glad 
and  jolly.  A  good  many  French  are  behind  the  hills,  but  de¬ 
serters  say  they  have  nothing  to  eat.  They  are  half-starved, 
and  woe-begone.  Some  infantry  entered  Prussian  territory  at 
3  a.m.  this  morning,  to  dig  up  potatoes.  They  were  driven  off 
without  any  potatoes,  and  with  the  loss  of  two  men.  The  po¬ 
tato-digging  has  been  attempted  at  intervals  all  along  the 
frontier. 

The  plan  of  the  campaign  is,  that  three  armies  will  form  at 
points  from  Saarbriick  southwards  —  the  southernmost  to  ad¬ 
vance  on  Strasburg,  the  next  on  Nancy,  and  the  third  to  mask 
Metz,  co-operating  with  the  second.  The  French  can  hardly 
have  been  acquainted  with  the  weakness  of  the  force  in  Saar- 
briick  during  the  last  few  days.  The  patrols  are  very  active, 
and  penetrate  to  the  extreme  right  and  left  of  the  valley.  The 
badness  of  the  enemy’s  sharp-shooting  encourages  them  to  go 
within  unnecessarily  short  distances  of  the  French  outposts. 
A  party  had  made  their  way  yesterday  along  an  open,  marshy 
space  below  the  woods  which  stretch  to  the  French  camp, 
when  some  chasseurs  burst  out  of  the  wood \  within  fifty  yards 
of  them,  shouting.  The  Germans  rode  off  as  hard  as  they 
could,  the  Frenchmen  firing  at  them.  If  the  chasseurs  could 
have  remained  quiet  a  minute  or  two  longer,  they  might  have 
destroyed  or  made  prisoners  the  whole  party.  When  they  had 
nothing  to  do  but  take  good  aim  at  the  flying  horsemen,  from 
fifty  yards  upwards,  they  did  not  succeed  in  hitting  their  bodies. 
Three  shots  were  received  in  different  parts  of  the  men’s  equip¬ 
ments.  Bodies  of  infantry  are  continually  going  out  to  recon¬ 
noitre. 

Ten  P.M.  — To-day  has  been  quite  quiet,  no  one  wounded 
or  killed  on  either  side,  and  very  little  firing.  The  French  ar- 


SUNDAY,  JULY  31. 


79 


tillery  is  not  to  be  seen.  About  four  o’clock  this  afternoon  a 
detachment  of  French  infantry  appeared  on  the  top  of  their 
hill,  and  passed  some  time  making  surveys  and  taking  distan¬ 
ces.  When  they  went  down,  a  company  of  men  in  white 
jackets  appeared,  and  began  to  dig.  The  dust  occasioned  by 
this  was  visible. 

There  are  no  potatoes  to  dig  there. 

By  and  by,  when  we  get  into  France,  we  will  dig  their  pota¬ 
toes,  too  ! 

Saturday,  8  A.M.  — The  patrols  in  the  night  suffered  more 
severely  than  usual.  One  was  surprised  by  the  French  concealed 
in  a  wood,  who  suddenly  fired  upon  them,  and  wounded  a 
uhlan  and  also  a  fusilier  of  the  second  battalion  of  the  Fortieth. 
Two  other  men  have  been  wounded  in  different  patrols,  one 
of  the  8th  company  of  the  above-named  battalion  very  severely, 
the  other  slightly.  The  French  are  making  a  bridge  over  the 
Saar,  between  Grossblittersdorf  and  Hunweiler,  near  Saar- 
guemines.  The  work  done  yesterday  afternoon  on  the  top  of 
the  hill  turns  out  to  be  a  protected  battery.  Two  cannon  have 
appeared  there.  Fighting  is  expected  in  the  course  of  the 
day. 

Sunday,  July  31.  —  King  William  leaves  for  the  front.  Na¬ 
poleon  at  St.  Avoid.  Proclamation  of  King  William. 


PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  KING. 

Berlin,  July  31  ( Evening ). — The  King  has  issued  the 
following  proclamation  : 

“To  my  People,  —  On  my  departure  to-day  for  the  army,  to  fight  with 
it  for  Germany’s  honor  and  the  preservation  of  our  most  precious  posses¬ 
sions,  I  wish  to  grant  an  amnesty  for  all  political  crimes  and  offences,  in 
recognition  of  the  unanimous  uprising  of  my  people  at  this  crisis.  I  have 
instructed  the  Minister  of  State  to  submit  a  decree  to  me  to  this  effect. 
My  people  know  with  me  that  the  rupture  of  the  peace  and  the  provoca¬ 
tion  to  war  did  not  emanate  from  our  side.  But,  being  challenged,  we  are 
resolved,  like  our  forefathers,  placing  full  trust  in  God,  to  accept  the  bat¬ 
tle  for  the  defence  of  the  Fatherland. 


“  William. 


so 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


AMERICA,  BRIGHT  DAUGHTER  OF  LIBERTY  ! 

COLOGNE,  July  31.  — At  a  mass-meeting  held  at  Cologne  to-day,  an 
address  was  adopted  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  Germany,  and  the  German 
Americans,  and  especially  those  of  St.  Louis,  expressive  of  thanks  for  their 
aid  in  this  impious  war.  The  address  rejoices  “in  the  preservation  of  love 
for  the  Fatherland  by  the  Germans  in  the  land  great  for  its  deeds,  for  the 
life  of  Washington  and  the  death  of  Lincoln.”  The  address,  which  has 
occasioned  great  enthusiasm,  concludes  as  follows : 

You  are  still  one  with  the  Fatherland.  Awaken  your  enthusiasm  against 
Caesarism,  which  has  extended  to  Mexico,  which  protects  the  hand  of  revo¬ 
lution,  and  which  drenches  the  glorious  Rhineland  with  blood.  For  such 
love  and  encouragement  we  extend  our  hands.  Vive  Germany,  our  com¬ 
mon  mother  !  Vive  America ,  bright  daughter  of  Liberty  ! 


Monday,  August  1.  — The  French  occupy  Gersweiler  and 
St.  Arnual.  No  orders  to  advance. 


Paris,  July  30,  6.35  P.M.  —  The  following  is  the  official  intelligence 
published  this  evening  : 

Headquarters  of  the  Army,  Saturday ,  1  P.M. 
The  march  forward  has  not  yet  commenced,  and  all  con¬ 
trary  reports  are  false. 


NAPOLEON. 


ARMIES  AND  NAVIES  OF  FRANCE  AND  PRUSSIA. 


The  author,  before  the  commencement  of  the  actual  fighting, 
gives,  in  a  condensed  form,  valuable  statistics,  which  will  ena¬ 
ble  the  reader  to  follow  the  daily  diary  of  events  with  a  clearer 
understanding. 

THE  FRENCH  ARMY  AND  NAVY. 

The  present  field  force  of  France  is  infinitely  smaller  than 
that  of  Prussia.  The  French  army  looks  well  on  paper,  and  in 
the  official  reports  of  Marshal  Niel ;  but  when  actual  estimates 
are  made,  the  figures  fall  far  below  the  official  reports. 

On  the  i  st  of  October,  1869,  the  official  report  of  Marshal 
Niel  gives  the  numbers  of  the  French  army  as  follows  : 


Troops  on  duty  in  France .  365,179 

“  “  Algiers .  63,925 

“  “  Papal  Dominions .  5>252 


Total  (peace  footing) .  434,356 


The  French  army  on  a  war  footing  will  number  662,000 
men,  including  the  reserves.  The  army  has  169  batteries  with 
1014  guns.  A  battery  of  mitrailleuses  is  attached  to  each 
corps. 

The  army  on  a  peace  footing  is  composed  of  eight  army  corps,  averaging 
about  32,000  each.  During  the  war  the  French  have  never  had,  at  one 
time,  more  than  ten  corps  in  the  field,  inclusive  of  the  garrison  of  Toul, 
Strasburg,  Sedan,  etc.  ?t  is  mysterious  where  the  troops  of  certain  corps 
have  disappeared  to.  MacMahon’s  First  Corps  of  45,000  has  dwindled 
down  to  25,000  on  the  retreat  from  Worth  to  Chalons.  A  demoralized 
army  loses  more  men  through  “  stragglers”  than  in  actual  battle.  This  is 
especially  true  of  conscripts. 


81 


82 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  USSIAJV  WAR. 


Each  corps  d'armee  is  composed  of  from  three  to  four  divisions  of  infantry, 
and  from  six  to  eight  regiments  of  cavalry.  Each  division  has  three  bat¬ 
teries  of  artillery  and  one  company  of  engineers*  and  comprises  in  its  total 
force  ten  to  twelve  thousand  men  of  all  arms  of  the  service. 

THE  FRENCH  NAVY. 

The  Minister  of  Marine,  Admiral  da  Genouilly  (under  the  Republic, 
Martin  Fourichon). 

The  French  fleet  is  commanded  by  Admiral  Bouet-Willaumez. 

The  fleet  is  distributed  as  follows  : 

First  division  in  the  Baltic  Sea.  Iron-clad  frigates  —  La  Surveillante  (admiral’s  ship), 
La  Gauloise,  L’Ocean,  La  Guienne,  La  Planche.  Iron-clad  corvettes  —  La  Jeanne 
d’Arc,  La  Th6tis,  yacht  Jerome  Napol6on. 

Second  division,  Rear-Admiral  Petrouet.  Iron-clad  frigates  —  La  Savoie  (flag),  La 
Valeureuse,  La  Revanche,  La  Montcalm,  La  Victoire,  L’Atalante,  Le  Rochambeau  (Dun- 
derberg) . 

Third  division  —  Iron-clad  frigate  La  Savoie  (ram).  Despatch  boats  —  Duyot,  Castor, 
Cosmos,  Bougainville,  Catinat,  Chateau  Renauld,  Peirin,  Bousaque,  I’Heureuse,  Ariel, 
yacht  Hirondelle  (swiftest  vessel  in  the  French  navy). 

The  navy  employs  7000  men. 

COMMANDERS  OF  THE  FRENCH  ARMY, 

Commander-in-Chief,  the  Emperor  Napoleon  III. 

Minister  of  Marine,  Rigault  De  Genouilly. 

(Under  the  Republic,  M.  Fourichon.) 

Major-General  and  Secretary  of  War,  Marshal  Leboeuf. 

(Afterwards  Palikao  and  Trochu.) 

Assistant  Major-Generals,  Levren  and  Jarvas, 

Commander-in-Chief  of  Artillery,  General  Soleille. 

Commander-in-Chief  of  Engineers,  General  De  Noweck. 

Commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Moselle  (Second,  Third,  and 
Fourth  Corps),  Marshal  Bazaine, 

Commander  of  the  Army  of  the  Rhine  (First,  Fifth,  and 
Seventh  Corps),  Marshal  MacMahon. 

Commander  of  the  Army  of  Paris,  troops  of  the  line,  Mar¬ 
shal  Canrobert ;  reserves,  and  recruits,  General  De  Vinoy. 

Commander  of  the  Imperial  Guards  (Eighth  Corps),  General 
Bourbaki.  « 

Commander  of  the  Department  of  Paris  (Governor  of  the 
city),  General  Trochu. 

(Afterwards  became  Secretary  of  War,  and  finally  President  of  the  Republic.) 


*  xsnonv 


POSITION  OF  FRENCH  ARMIES. 

POSITION  OF  FRENCH  ARMIES  (350,000). 

NUMBERS,  AND  CORPS  COMMANDERS. 


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84 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 

NAPOLEON  III. 

The  world  does  not  furnish  a  parallel  to  the  history  of  Napo¬ 
leon  III. 

Napoleon  I.  had  a  brother  —  Louis  Bonaparte.  This  broth¬ 
er  was  in  love  with  and  formally  betrothed  to  Emile  Beauhar- 
nais,  the  niece  of  Josephine.  Hortense,  the  daughter  of  Jose¬ 
phine,  was  betrothed  to  Gen.  Duroc.  Napoleon  broke  up 
these  betrothals  of  love,  made  four  lives  wretched  and  unhap¬ 
py,  and  compelled  his  brother  Louis  to  marry  Hortense.  This 
was  in  1802. 

It  was  a  marriage  of  disinclination  on  both  sides,  but  Louis 
was  no  more  able  than  Jerome  to  resist  Napoleon’s  inflexible 
will.  After  an  equally  vain  resistance,  he  accepted  the  crown 
of  Holland  in  1806.  The  want  of  harmony  between  himself 
and  Hortense  was  no  longer  concealed,  and  their  married  life 
was  virtually  at  an  end,  when  on  the  20th  of  April,  1808,  a  third 
son,  Charles  Louis  Napoleon,  was  born.  King  Louis  hesitat¬ 
ed  to  acknowledge  the  latter  as  his  own,  and  only  yielded  to 
the  urgent  solicitations  of  his  brother.  The  name  of  Hortense 
was  at  that  time  mentioned  in  connection  with  that  of  a  cer¬ 
tain  Dutch  admiral,  whose  features  many  persons  believe  to  be 
reproduced  in  a  face  which  certainly  has  no  resemblance  to 
either  the  Bonaparte  or  the  Beauharnais  family.  The  sons 
of  Louis  were  the  only  hereditary  princes  until  the  King  of 
Rome  was  born.  The  oldest  of  the  three  children  died  in 
1807,  and  Hortense,  after  the  birth  of  the  youngest,  continued 
to  reside  in  Paris  as  Queen  Regent  of  Holland.  Napoleon 
manifested  great  attachment  to  her  sons,  especially  the  young¬ 
er.  After  his  return  from  Elba,  Prince  Charles  Louis  Napo¬ 
leon,  then  seven  years  old,  stood  by  his  side  on  the  Champs 
de  Mars,  and  was  one  of  the  last  to  embrace  him  at  Malmais- 
on,  when  he  left  Paris  forever. 

Hortense,  banished  from  France,  settled  first  at  Augsburg.  The  broth¬ 
ers,  during  their  residence  in  Italy,  became  implicated  in  the  political  con¬ 
spiracies  of  the  Italian  patriots,  and  both  took  part  in  the  attempted  revo¬ 
lution  in  the  Romagna,  in  January,  1831.  The  elder  brother,  Louis  Napo¬ 
leon,  exhausted  by  the  privations  he  had  endured,  was  attacked  with  the 
measles,  and  died  at  Forli.  The  younger,  thenceforth  known  as  Louis  Na¬ 
poleon,  also  fell  ill  at  Ancona,  which  city  he  left,  when  able  to  travel,  in 
the  disguise  of  a  footman  to  Hortense,  who  gave  herself  out  to  be  an  Eng¬ 
lish  lady  of  rank. 


LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  III. 


85 


They  reached  Paris  in  March,  1831,  and  remained  there  for  a  month. 

Louis  Philippe  saw  trouble  in  his  presence,  and  the  decree  of  banishment  was  re¬ 
newed. 

The  death  of  his  elder  brother  was  followed,  in  1832,  by  that  of  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt 
(King  of  Rome),  and  he  found  himself  the  next  heir  to  Napoleon’s  throne.  His  restless, 
adventurous  spirit  had  thenceforth  a  fixed,  inflexible  aim,  and  much  of  his  success  is  un¬ 
doubtedly  due  both  to  the  direction  of  his  studies  from  that  time  forward,  and  to  the  six¬ 
teen  years  of  defeat  and  exile  which  were  still  to  come.  In  his  Reveries  Politiques , 
published  in  1832,  he  declared  that  France  can  only  be  restored  to  her  prosperity  and  po¬ 
litical  importance  by  a  member  of  the  Bonaparte  family  —  that  no  other  could  unite  the  de¬ 
velopment  of  Republican  ideas  with  the  military  spirit  of  the  French  people  !  He  also 
published  a  work  on  the  political  and  military  condition  of  Switzerland,  and  a  “Manual 
of  Artillery,”  which  is  said  to  be  a  work  of  considerable  technical  merit. 

THE  STRASBURG  AFFAIR. 

Either  growing  impatient  of  the  changeless  current  of  circumstances,  or  misled  by  the 
representations  of  his  secret  adherents  in  France,  he  determined  to  strike  a  blow  at  the 
Orleans  rule. 

Col.  Vaudrey  of  the  Fourth  Artillery,  then  stationed  in  Strasburg,  and  M.  Fialin  (calling 
himself  De  Persigny),  assisted  in  arranging  the  plot.  On  the  30th  of  October,  1836, 
Louis  Napoleon  suddenly  made  his  appearance  in  Strasburg,  was  presented  to  a  part  of 
the  garrison  by  Col.  Vaudrey,  who  at  the  same  time  announced  to  the  soldiers  that  a  rev¬ 
olution  had  taken  place  in  Paris,  and  was  accepted  by  the  Fourth  Artillery  and  a  portion 
of  some  other  regiments.  The  prompt  action  of  Gen.  Voirol  and  Col.  Tallandier  arrested 
the  movement ;  the  troops  hesitated  ;  in  a  few  minutes  more,  the  epaulettes  and  decora¬ 
tions  of  the  would-be  Emperor  were  torn  from  him.  He  was  arrested  without  delay,  and 
forwarded  to  Paris.  Louis  Philippe  felt  too  secure  in  his  place  to  be  vindictive  ;  the  at¬ 
tempt,  in  fact,  illustrated  its  own  impotence  ;  and  the  culprit  was  dealt  with  very  lenient¬ 
ly.  Within  three  weeks  he  was  shipped  to  New  York,  without  any  conditions  being  at¬ 
tached  to  his  release,  and  $3000,  the  gift  of  Louis  Philippe,  in  his  pocket. 

He  was  first  taken  to  Rio  Janeiro,  where  the  vessel  delayed  but  a  few  days,  and  then 
sailed  for  the  United  States.  He  was  landed  at  Norfolk  in  March,  1837,  and  thence  made 
his  way  to  New  York,  where  he  remained  until  some  time  in  May.  His  brief  residence 
among  us  has  left  behind  it  only  a  tradition  of  a  visit  to  Washington  Irving  at  Sunnyside, 
and  a  few  others  of  debts  and  quarrels  with  landlords.  His  uncle  Joseph,  ex-King  of  Spain, 
had  a  residence  near  Bordentown  at  that  time,  and  he  had  other  relatives  in  Baltimore, 
but  he  seems  to  have  had  little,  if  any,  intercourse  with  them.  The  Strasburg  affair  dis¬ 
paraged  his  intelligence  and  magnified  the  pretension  of  his  character  ;  his  personal  habits 
were  reckless,  and  not  always  respectable ;  and  the  name  of  “adventurer,”  thus  doubly 
stamped  upon  him,  was  no  recommendation  to  what  was  then  “our  best  society.”  What 
chances  were  lost  to  Bowling  Green  and  Bleecker  street ! 

BOULOGNE. 

Although  in  1840  the  Orleanist  rule  was  still  firmly  established  in  France,  Louis  Na¬ 
poleon,  yielding  less  to  the  impatience  of  his  small  band  of  followers  in  London,  than 
blindly  and  recklessly  trusting  his  fortunes  to  chance,  organized  a  new  attempt.  Accom¬ 
panied  by  Count  Montholon  (one  of  the  companions  of  Napoleon  at  St.  Helena)  and  about 
fifty  others,  he  crossed  the  Channel  in  a  small  steamer,  and  landed  at  Boulogne.  One  of 
the  “properties”  of  the  expedition  was  a  tame  eagle,  which  —  according  to  the  gossip  of 
the  day —  had  been  trained  to  alight  on  the  Prince’s  head,  by  the  lure  of  a  piece  of  raw 
beefsteak  attached  to  his  hat.  The  landing  was  made,  the  bluffs  ascended,  and  the  gar¬ 
rison  summoned  to  acknowledge  their  legitimate  commander  ;  but  the  eagle  forgot  his 
lesson,  and  the  soldiers  had  not  yet  learned  theirs.  The  first  alighted  upon  a  post,  instead 
of  the  selected  head,  and  the  second  charged  upon  their  rightful  sovereign  and  his  ad¬ 
herents.  Plunging  into  the  sea  in  his  endeavor  to  regain  the  steamer,  Louis  Napoleon 


86 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


was  dragged  out,  dripping  and  collapsed,  and  forwarded  a  second  time  to  Paris.  This 
attempt  was  even  more  disastrous  than  the  first ;  for  at  Strasburg  a  part  of  the  garrison, 
deceived  by  Col.  Vaudrey,  had  actually  declared  for  him  ;  whereas  at  Boulogne  not  a 
single  soldier  appears  to  have  done  him  reverence. 

Louis  Philippe,  it  must  be  admitted,  acted  with  great  moderation.  The  life  of  the 
usurper,  who  had  a  second  time  abused  his  forbearance,  was  in  his  power.  Napoleon  was 
brought  to  trial  before  the  House  of  Peers.  He  was  sentenced  to  perpetual  imprisonment 
in  Ham.  His  imprisonment  was  voluntarily  shared  by  Dr.  Conneau,  a  physician  who 
had  faith  in  his  destiny.  During  the  six  years  at  Ham,  however,  the  prisoner  was  not 
idle.  He  occupied  himself  chiefly  with  political  studies,  and  wrote  three  works — His¬ 
toric  Fragments  (published  in  1841),  a  comparison  between  the  fall  of  the  Stuart  dy¬ 
nasty  in  England  and  certain  features  of  French  history;  an  Analysis  of  the  Sugar 
Question  (1842),  in  which  he  took  ground  against  specially  favoring  production  in  the 
French  colonies;  and,  finally,  an  essay  on  the  Extinction  of  Pauperism ,  which  was 
the  most  important  of  all,  inasmuch  as  it  indirectly  favored  the  communistic  theories 
which  were  then  rapidly  taking  root  among  the  laboring  classes  of  France.  He  proposed 
that  the  Government  should  advance  funds  to  establish  settlement  and  cultivation  in  all 
the  waste  districts  of  the  country,  and  that  the  profits  of  the  undertaking  should  be  ap¬ 
propriated  to  the  support  and  elevation  of  the  manufacturing  classes.  Toward  the  end  of 
1845,  the  ex-King  Louis,  then  ill  at  Florence,  made  an  appeal  to  the  French  Government 
for  the  release  of  the  only  son  who  bore  his  name.  After  a  long  consideration  the  appeal 
was  refused,  but  the  refusal  was  followed,  in  May,  1846,  by  the  escape  of  Louis  Napoleon 
from  Ham.  With  Dr.  Conneau’s  assistance,  disguised  as  a  workman,  he  walked  out  of 
the  fortress,  carrying  a  board  upon  his  shoulder,  easily  made  his  way  to  the  Belgian  fron¬ 
tier,  and  thence  to  England. 

Here  he  associated  with  very  good  people.  Lady  Blessington  received  him  at  Gore 
House  and  Sir  John  Browning  took  him  by  the  hand. 

Now  came  the  revolution  of  1848.  Napoleon  saw  the  chance.  The  Bonapartist  faction 
in  France  was  not  large  at  that  time,  but  it  was  very  active.  Lamartine,  originally  a  Le¬ 
gitimist,  knew  the  power  of  a  name  among  the  people  ;  and  the  Executive  Committee  (in. 
May),  probably  at  his  suggestion,  laid  before  the  National  Assembly  a  proposal  to  renew 
the  decree  of  1832,  and  banish  the  Bonaparte  family  from  France.  This  was  rejected  by 
the  Assembly,  and  Louis  Napoleon,  who  had  been  brought  before  the  people  as  a  candi¬ 
date  by  his  followers,  and  had  been  elected  Deputy  from  four  Departments,  was  free  to 
visit  Paris.  Nevertheless,  he  still  delayed,  from  an  apparent  disinclination  to  create 
trouble.  After  having  announced  to  the  President  of  the  National  Assembly,  on  the  14th 
of  June,  that  he  was  ready  to  perform  any  duty  with  which  the  people  might  charge  him, 
he  forwarded  a  letter  the  following  day,  resigning  his  place  as  Deputy  in  the  interest  of 
peace  and  harmony.  This  step  greatly  increased  his  popularity,  and  he  was  immediately 
re-chosen  Deputy  by  four  other  Departments. 

EIGHTEEN  FORTY-EIGHT. 

Thereupon  he  left  England,  reached  Paris  on  the  24th  of  September,  and  on  the  26th 
took  his  seat  in  the  National  Assembly.  He  made  a  short  address,  taking  strong  ground 
in  favor  of  the  preservation  of  order  and  the  development  of  democratic  institutions. 
Gen.  Cavaignac,  then  temporary  dictator,  and  candidate  for  the  Presidency,  seems  to 
have  greatly  under-estimated  both  his  ability  and  the  chances  of  his  popularity.  But  the 
Bonapartists  throughout  the  country  had  already  prepared  the  way  for  his  candidacy,  and 
took  skilful  advantage  of  the  dissensions  among  the  Republicans  to  unite  the  most  hete¬ 
rogeneous  elements  in  his  support.  The  attempts  of  the  Orleanist  and  Legitimist  parties 
to  set  up  popular  candidates  failed  ;  the  Socialists,  embittered  by  Cavaignac’s  stern  sup¬ 
pression  of  the  attempted  revolution  in  June,  yet  powerless  alone,  were  seduced  by  the 
supposed  tendencies  of  Louis  Napoleon’s  political  essays  ;  the  troops  began  to  yield  to 
the  magic  of  a  name,  now  that  the  one  who  bore  it  might  legally  become  their  leader  ;  the 
millions  of  the  ignorant  peasantry  were  easily  manipulated  by  dexterous  agents  (a  large 
number  believing  they  were  voting  for  Napoleon  I.,  returned  from  St.  Helena  !),  and  even 
before  the  election  day  arrived,  the  increasing  chances  of  Louis  Napoleon’s  success  carried 
over  to  his  side  a  multitude  of  wavering,  politic  natures. 

The  election  was  held  on  the  10th  of  December,  1848,  and  the  result  gave  evidence  of 
an  almost  complete  union  of  all  other  parties  against  that  of  the  Republic  of  Order  repre¬ 
sented  by  Cavaignac.  The  latter  received  1,460,000  votes,  Louis  Napoleon  5,500,000, 
and  Lamartine  a  comparatively  trifling  number.  The  new  President,  with  no  record  of 
offence,  except  against  the  banished  dynasty,  took  quiet  possession  of  the  realm  which 
another  had  made  ready  for  his  hands. 

PRESIDENT  BONAPARTE. 

His  policy,  after  obtaining  power,  was  very  gradually  developed.  He  only  appeared  to 
imitate  Cavaignac  in  putting  down  the  disturbances  of  January,  1849,  a°d  the  Conserva¬ 
tive  and  Catholic  sentiment  of  France  was  certainly  with  Tiim  in  sending  Oudinot  to  Rome. 


LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  III. 


87 


This  was  in  direct  opposition  to  the  decision  of  the  Assembly,  yet  the  Assembly  afterward 
confirmed  the  act.  Even  the  title  of  “  Prince-President  ”  seemed  to  excite  no  distrust, 
except  among  the  now  thoroughly  unpopular  “  Reds,”  or  extreme  Republicans.  The 
foreign  policy  of  the  Government  was  dignified,  but  conciliatory.  The  Prince-President 
steadily  followed  two  objects  :  he  made  himself  popular  with  the  soldiers  and  the  laboring 
classes,  and  crushed  in  every  practicable  way  the  intelligent  bourgeoisie.  In  October, 
1849,  the  Ministry  was  changed  for  one  more  inclined  to  support  his  plans  ;  the  dissensions 
in  the  National  Assembly  were  secretly  and  skilfully  encouraged  ;  journeys  through  the 
provinces,  banquets,  addresses  to  the  people,  appointments  of  civil  officers,  grand  military 
reviews,  at  which  officers  and  soldiers  were  feasted  (as  on  the  plain  of  Satory)  all  were 
employed  to  extend  the  Prince-President’s  personal  influence,  and  gradually  familiarize  the 
people  with  the  Imperial  idea. 

In  January,  1851,  a  completely  Bonapartist  Ministry  was  appointed,  but  the  Assembly 
having  voted  its  lack  of  confidence,  another  Ministry  was  substituted.  An  attempt  was 
then  made  to  change  the  Constitution  in  such  a  manner  that  the  President’s  term  of  office 
might  be  extended,  since  an  immediate  re-election  was  prohibited,  but,  after  a  very  fierce 
and  stormy  discussion,  the  proposition  failed  to  receive  the  requisite  majority  of  three- 
fourths.  The  Assembly  was  soon  afterwards  adjourned  until  November,  which  gave  the 
Prince-President  time  to  mature  his  plans.  His  term  would  expire  the  following  spring  ; 
the  Prince  de  Joinville  was  already  named  as  a  candidate  ;  the  elements  of  opposition,  al¬ 
though  without  combination,  were  increasing  in  strength.  In  this  juncture  he  called 
about  him  men  who  were  equally  cunning,  daring,  and  unprincipled — Gen.  St.  Arnaud 
(who  was  made  Minister  of  War  in  October,  1851),  De  Morny,  Persigny,  and  Fleury.  All 
of  these  appear  to  have  been  made  acquainted  with  his  plans,  and  two  of  them —  St.  Ar¬ 
naud  and  De  Morny  —  were  his  chief  instruments  in  carrying  them  into  execution.  When, 
on  the  13th  of  November,  the  proposition  to  restore  universal  suffrage  was  defeated  in  the 
Assembly,  the  Prince-President  and  his  accomplices  determined  (true  to  Napoleonic  tra¬ 
dition)  to  imitate  the  18th  Brumaire. 

THE  COUP  D’ETAT. 

But  the  2d  of  December,  1851,  was  not  an  imitation  ;  it  was  original  in  its  horror.  Be¬ 
fore  daylight  on  that  morning,  78  prominent  men  were  seized,  many  of  them  being  dragged 
from  their  beds,  the  National  Assembly  forcibly  dissolved  (220  of  the  Deputies  having  been 
arrested  and  imprisoned  the  same  day),  Paris  declared  in  a  state  of  siege,  and  the  people 
called  upon  to  elect  a  President  for  ten  years,  with  power  to  select  his  own  Ministry,  and  a 
Government  consisting  of  two  Chambers,  with  limited  powers.  Paris  arose  against  the 
outrage,  and  until  the  night  of  December  4,  its  streets  ran  with  blood.  Entire  quarters 
of  the  city  were  given  up  to  murder  and  plunder.  Men,  women,  and  children,  natives  and 
foreigners,  were  shot  and  bayoneted  indiscriminately. 

The  blow  was  so  sudden  and  terrible  that  the  spirit  of  the  nation  was  utterly  paralyzed  ; 
even  indignation  was  lost  in  the  deeper  sense  of  horror  and  fear.  The  mask  was  removed, 
and  the  Empire,  in  a  nearly  absolute  form,  already  existed.  When  the  election  was  held, 
few  days  later,  the  result  was  :  7,500,000  yeas,  650,000  nays.  As  Kinglake  says,  “  He 
knew  how  to  strangle  a  nation  in  a  night-time  with  a  thing  he  called  a  Plebiscite.” 

THE  EMPIRE  ESTABLISHED. 

In  January,  1852,  he  ordered  the  confiscation  of  all  the  property  belonging  to  the 
Orleans  family  ;  in  February,  the  last  vestige  of  liberty  was  taken  from  the  press  ;  in  May, 
the  Napoleonic  eagles  were  distributed  to  the  army  ;  and  in  December  the  Prince-President, 
Louis  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  became  Napoleon  III.,  Emperor,  “  By  the  Grace  of  God  and 
the  will  of  the  French  people  !  ”  Having  assured  himself  that  resistance  was  paralyzed  for 
a  time,  his  next  objects  were,  first,  to  allay  the  distrust  of  the  other  European  powers  by 
showing  that  the  Empire  was  Peace,  and  secondly,  to  bring  about  a  war  in  order  to  satisfy 
his  army.  At  the  same  time  he  did  not  neglect  to  provide  for  the  foundation  of  a  dynasty. 
His  mistress,  an  English  woman,  was  set  aside,  and  the  inclinations  of  various  marriagea¬ 
ble  princesses  very  delicately  and  secretly  sounded.  He  made  strong  efforts  to  obtain  the 
hand  of  the  Princess  Wasa,  of  the  deposed  royal  family  of  Sweden  ;  but  when  these 
finally  failed,  suddenly  gave  up  all  imitation  of  his  uncle,  and  astonished  the  Court  circles 
of  Europe  by  declaring  his  choice  to  be  the  Spanish  Countess  Eugenie  de  Teba,  daughter 
of  the  Countess  de  Montijo,  and  granddaughter  of  a  Scotch  merchant  named  Kirkpatrick. 
Tall,  handsome,  graceful,  and  twenty-seven,  Eugenie  was  probably  quite  as  acceptable  to 
the  French  people  as  any  of  the  (at  that  time)  inaccessible  daughters  of  royal  houses.  The 
marriage  took  place  in  January,  1853,  aad  the  little  girl  whom  Washington  Irving  used  to 
trot  upon  his  knee  became  Empress  of  France. 

The  first  legitimate  success  of  Napoleon  III.  was  his  alliance  with  England.  He  led  the 
English  Government,  in  1853,  into  an  alliance  against  Russia. 

Victoria  and  Albert  sat  with  him  and  Eugenie  in  an  opera-box  in  Paris  ;  he  kissed  Her 
Most  Gracious  Majesty  on  the  staircase  at  Windsor,  and  her  royal  hands  invested 
him  with  the  Order  of  the  Garter. 


88 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


The  Empire  was  not  peace  ;  it  has  always  been  war  —  war  with  Austria,  war  with  Rus¬ 
sia,  war  with  Prussia.  Still  the  French  liked  Napoleon  III.  After  Magenta  he  was  pop¬ 
ular  ;  even  some  Americans  looked  upon  him  as  a  man  of  genius  and  destiny.  Europe 
believed  in  Napoleon. 

THE  boy. 

An  Imperial  Prince  was  bom  in  March,  1856  —  an  only  one,  and  again  a  resemblance 
to  Napoleon  !  Even  persons  not  superstitious  began  to  incline  toward  the  theory  of  “  des- 
tiny.” 

From  1853  to  1861  he  was  the  most  over-estimated  man  in  the  world.  Every  turn  and 
winding  of  his  apparently  subtile  policy,  every  new  disclosure  of  his  seemingly  impenetra¬ 
ble  plans,  was  accepted  as  an  evidence  of  greatness  by  a  majority  of  the  civilized  races. 

THE  ITALIAN  WAR. 

It  would,  perhaps,  be  unfair  to  say  that  sympathy  for  the  Italian  cause  had  no  part  in 
bringing  on  the  war  of  1859.  But  there  were  two  other  equally  powerful  considerations  : 
he  would  abolish  the  relentless  determination  of  the  Carbonari,  and  he  would  increase  the 
territory  of  France  by  the  annexation  of  Savoy.  Although  Napoleon’s  Ministry  was  re¬ 
ported  to  be  unfavorable  to  the  war,  it  was  hailed  with  great  enthusiasm  by  the  masses  of 
the  people. 

Nevertheless,  the  declaration  of  war  occasioned  great  alarm  and  uneasiness  through¬ 
out  Europe.  There  was  a  vague  fear— -now  that  belief  in  the  genius  of  Napoleon  III. 
had  been  generally  established  —  that  this  would  be  the  beginning  of  a  course  of  conquest, 
in  which  the  career  of  Napoleon  I.  might  be  repeated.  The  English  people  were  more 
excited  than  any  other. 

After  entering  Piedmont,  the  Emperor  delayed  three  weeks,  plotting  and  planning,  be¬ 
fore  commencing  hostilities.  He  had  an  interview  with  Kossuth,  and  agreed  with  the  lat¬ 
ter  upon  a  plan  for  co-operating  with  the  Magyar  and  Sclavonic  population  of  Austria. 
Tuscany  had  already  risen,  the  Romagna  was  stirring,  and  there  were  movements  in  Na¬ 
ples  and  Sicily.  After  a  small  engagement  at  Montebello,  the  battle  of  Magenta,  on  the 
4th  of  June,  gave  Milan  and  Lombardy  to  the  French  and  Italian  armies.  The  Emper¬ 
or’s  reception  in  Milan  was  warm  and  cordial,  but  a  storm  of  uncontrollable  joy  surged 
around  the  path  of  Victor  Emanuel. 

The  Emperor’s  disappointment,  however,  was  bitter,  when  all  Italy,  except  the  little  Ro¬ 
man  territory  held  by  French  troops,  pronounced  for  a  united  nationality  under  Victor 
Emanuel.  Savoy  and  Nice  were  acquired,  it  is  true  ;  the  names  of  Magenta  and  Solferino 
were  added  to  those  of  the  Alma  and  the  Malakoff ;  the  influence  of  France  was  more 
potent  than  ever  in  the  counsels  of  Europe  ;  but  more  than  this  was  necessary.  Napoleon 
did  more.  He  made  commerce  for  France,  built  railroads,  and  kept  the  poor  at  work. 
He  beautified  Paris,  and  tried  in  every  way  to  make  Frenchmen  forget  his  usurpation  in 
’52.  He  was  a  great  Mayor  for  Paris. 

MEXICO 

was  an  opportunity.  The  Rebellion  occupied  Washington. 

The  Mexican  expedition  was  a  threat,  an  impertinence,  an  indirect  (and  therefore  un¬ 
answerable)  interference  in  American  affairs.  It  was  meant  to  be  the  first  step  toward  an 
intervention  on  behalf  of  the  rebellious  South.  The  dismemberment  of  the  American  Re¬ 
public  would  have  been  the  triumph  of  dynastic  ideas  throughout  the  world,  and  there  was 
nothing  which  Napoleon  III.  more  prayerfully  desired. 

Two  things  baffled  this  nicely-arranged  plan  — Abraham  Lincoln’s  proclamation  of 
Emancipation  and  the  steady  friendship  of  Russia.  The  moral  support  of  the  English 
masses  and  the  consequent  caution  of  the  English  Government  saved  the  United  States 
from  what  was,  for  a  short  time,  a  very  imminent  danger.  Napoleon  III.  hesitated,  until 
the  proper  time  for  his  action  had  passed  ;  and  England  had  more  reason  for  congratula¬ 
tion  than  her  people  are  perhaps,  even  now,  aware  of.  The  end  of  the  Mexican  business 
was  the  severest  blow  which  the  dynastic  system  had  received  since  the  French  Revolu¬ 
tion.  The  divinity  of  hereditary  rulers,  instead  of  being  strengthened,  was  again  tragi¬ 
cally  shaken  ;  and  henceforth  another  bloody  ghost  was  added  to  the  thousands  which 
already  haunted  the  Tuileries. 

The  failure  of  his  Mexican  plans  disturbed  the  general  faith  in  his  infallible  wisdom,  and 
first  revealed  the  hollow  foundation  upon  which  his  imperial  power  was  built.  It  was  a 
source  of  profound  mortification  to  the  French  people — how  profound  only  those  can 
know  who  have  visited  France,  and  discussed  the  matter  there,  within  the  last  or  three  four 
years. 

From  this  point  there  seems  to  be  a  change  in  the  character  of  Napoleon  III.  He  be¬ 
gan  to  grow  phlegmatic,  his  eye  lost  its  lustre,  he  became  like  an  old  man  in  his  dotage. 

FRANCE  AND  PRUSSIA. 

While  he  was  chafing  under  the  overthrow  of  his  plans  in  Mexico,  but  before  the  last 
sad  act  of  the  tragedy  had  been  performed,  there  came  a  second  and  far  severer  blow. 


LIFE  OF  NAPOLEON  III. 


89 


The  Prussian  campaign  of  1866  drew  a  broad  black  line  across  his  calculations.  Bismarck 
had  been  Prussian  ambassador  in  Paris  (in  1862),  and  the  Emperor  imagined  that  in  him 
he  had  secured  another  unconscious  ally  ;  but  Bismarck  is  one  of  those  men  who,  naturally 
honest,  are  able  to  dissimulate  for  the  sake  of  defeating  dissimulation'.  His  plans  were 
concealed  for  ten  times  the  length  of  Napoleon  III.’s  coup  d'etat ,  but  they  were  realized  on 
an  open  battle-field,  in  the  sight  of  the  world,  not  through  perjury,  darkness,  and  slaugh¬ 
ter. 

The  Emperor  was  so  completely  and  narrowly  a  Napoleonist,  that  his  impressions  of 
Prussia  seemed  to  have  been  derived  from  one  word  — Jena.  When  war  became  inevita¬ 
ble,  he  repeated  the  blunder  he  had  made  in  the  case  of  Mexico  —  trusted  implicitly  in  the 
victory  of  the  side  which  was  defeated.  The  issue  of  the  six  weeks’  war  was  overwhelm¬ 
ing.  The  world,  for  the  first  time,  heard  the  creaking  of  the  shaky  props  of  his  throne. 
Forced  to  become  the  convenient  go-between  by  which  Venetia  was  transferred  to  Italy, 
now  “  free  from  the  Alps  to  the  Adriatic,”  against  his  will  —  to  hear  Europe  ringing  with  a 
victory  which  made  Solferino  tame  —  to  see  the  map  of  Germany  changed  without  the 
slightest  regard  to  the  sympathies  or  interests  of  France,  implied  a  loss  of  power  which 
foreboded  a  growing  opposition  at  home. 

His  efforts  were  next  directed  toward  preventing  any  nearer  approach  of  Bavaria  and 
Wurtemberg  towards  the  North  German  Confederation  ;  but,  as  he  only  discovered  some 
months  afterward,  the  military  alliance  of  those  states  had  already  been  accomplished. 
Luxemburg,  by  a  secret  arrangement,  nearly  fell  into  his  hands ;  but  here  again  Prussia 
stepped  in  the  way,  and  although  she  did  not  win  the  prize,  it  was  lost  to  France.  The 
sensitive  French  people  began  to  grow  very  restive  under  the  humiliations  to  which  they 
were  exposed  by  the  Emperor’s  reckless  diplomacy. 

Throughout  Europe  the  concession  was  generally  recognized  as  an  evidence  that  the 
Emperor,  although  weakened  in  personal  power  by  his  blunders,  still  retained  his  shrewd¬ 
ness  and  his  presumed  prudence.  He  had  saved  Rome  to  the  Pope  in  1867,  and  was 
still  the  well-beloved  son  of  the  Church.  His  influence  was  strong  in  Spain  ;  he  had  the 
friendship  of  Austria,  the  subserviency  of  Italy,  and  the  guarded  respect  of  England  and 
Russia.  Moreover,  the  military  organization  of  France  was  considered  —  although  with¬ 
out  any  very  definite  grounds  —  to  be  the  most  complete  in  Europe. 

THE  PLEBISCITUM. 

The  Plebiscite  of  May  8  th  was  a  fraud.  It  was  this  :  "Will  you  have  Napoleon  with  some 
liberty,  or  will  you  have  him  a  tyrant.”  The  people  voted,  "Yes,  we  will  have  you  with 
liberty.”  The  army  made  the  vote,  and  it  stood,  “for  Napoleon  if  toe  must  have  him'' 
7,336,434  ;  for  Napoleon  in  no  shape,  1,560,709. 

The  disclosures  which  have  since  been  made  show  not  only  how  long  Napoleon  III.  had 
been  preparing  for  a  war  with  Prussia,  but  also  how  amazingly  he  had  miscalculated  the 
political  elements  which  he  expected  such  a  war  to  set  in  motion.  The  subsequent  course 
of  the  Spanish  Regency  justifies  us  in  suspecting  that  the  candidature  of  Prince  Leopold  of 
Hohenzollern  was  arranged  with  the  secret  connivance  of  France,  in  order  to  furnish  the 
required  pretext ;  if  not,  the  Regency  is  pusillanimous,  instead  of  base.  A  division  be¬ 
tween  Bavaria  and  Wurtemberg  and  the  North  German  Confederation  was  positively  an¬ 
ticipated  ;  the  alliance  of  Denmark  and  Italy,  with  the  later  assistance  of  Austria,  was  a 
foregone  conclusion. 

To  the  Emperor  and  the  Duke  de  Gramont,  the  calculation,  doubtless,  seemed  to  be 
perfect.  But  they  had  omitted  the  one  important  factor  which  governed  the  mathematical 
result  —  the  very  element  which  a  man  utterly  selfish  and  sceptical  of  every  unselfish  qual¬ 
ity  of  human  nature — and  none  other  —  would  easily  overlook.  The  development  of 
public  sentiment  in  Germany  had  been  national ;  in  France  the  entire  education  and  dis¬ 
cipline  of  twenty  years  had  been  directed  toward  making  it  one  of  personal  attachment. 
Napoleon  III.  supposed  that  Barbarossa  (German  Unity)  still  slept  ;  but  when  the  ravens 
ceased  flying  around  the  tower  —  for  they  had  all  gone  to  Rome  to  vote  for  Papal  Infalli¬ 
bility —  the  old  Emperor  came  forth,  hung  his  shield  on  the  withered  tree,  and  it  burst  into 
a  bloom  that  dazzled  the  world  ! 

It  was  all  very  well  to  talk  of  the  elan  of  the  French  soldier,  and  to  hold  before  him  a 
thin,  wavering  phantom  of  "glory.”  The  German  soldier  went  to  war,  clad  in  a  panoply 
of  willing  self-sacrifice,  quietly,  and  even  with  a  religious  solemnity,  recognizing  the  gran¬ 
deur  of  the  crisis,  although  he  could  not  perceive  the  profound  universal  principle  under¬ 
lying  the  external  form  of  the  struggle.  He  had  been  made  to  feel  (and  sometimes  heav¬ 
ily)  the  full  weight  of  his  duty  to  the  Government ;  but  his  independent  strength  had  been 
exercised,  his  unselfish  sentiment  developed,  and  his  watchword  was,  not  "  King  William,” 
but  "The  German  Fatherland.”  In  France,  the  development  of  "personal  government” 
seems  to  have  been  carried  so  far,  that  it  weakened  that  individual  self-reliance  which  is  the 
strength  of  an  army  as  of  a  people.  The  soldier  was  taught  to  depend  on  the  officer,  the 
latter  on  his  superior,  and  finally  everybody  on  the  Emperor.  Such  a  system  can  only  suc¬ 
ceed  where  “The  Person”  is  strong  enough  to  walk  freely  under  such  a  weight  of  direc¬ 
tion  and  supervision. 


90 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


In  the  case  of  Napoleon  III.  it  has  utterly  failed.  His  energy  seems  to  have  entirety 
spent  itself  in  the  theatrical  coup  of  his  declaration  of  war.  He  immediately  relapsed  into 
worse  than  his  former  vacillation,  and  blind  dependence  on  destiny.  Unable  to  manage 
a  force  so  vast,  yet  persisting  in  retaining  its  control  in  his  own  hands,  he  threw  away  the 
opportunity  for  a  temporary  success.  He  was  bold  enough  to  evoke  the  spirits  from  the 
deep,  but  when  they  came  at  his  call,  he  stood  bewildered  and  astounded.  The  end  was 
then  inevitable.  Only  the  grand  dimensions  of  the  catastrophe  prevent  it  from  suggesting 
the  farce  at  Strasburg,  wherewith  he  first  took  his  place  in  history. 

It  is  too  soon  to  paint  his  portrait,  in  all  its  features,  as  it  shall  hereafter  stand  in  the 
records  of  the  world.  Some  characteristics,  nevertheless,  are  so  strongly  defined,  that 
they  are  not  likely  to  change  in  a  greater  perspective.  His  success  was  owing  to  a  name, 
to  a  succession  of  fortunate  circumstances,  and  to  certain  real  abilities,  developed  in  a 
school  of  severe  experience  ;  his  failure  came  through  inflated  ambition,  selfishness,  blind¬ 
ness  to  the  forward  movement  of  the  world,  and  an  almost  insane  mania  for  startling  effects. 
He  was  the  leader  of  the  sensational  school  in  politics.  He  learned,  through  many  misfor¬ 
tunes,  to  understand  the  interests,  the  appetites,  and  the  temptations  of  men  ;  but  he  never 
exhibited  the  slightest  faith  in  their  power  of  self-denial,  their  inextinguishable  virtues, 
their  loyalty  to  any  deeper  principle.  Crowned  by  a  deliberate  lie,  how  could  he  recognize 
the  existence  of  truth  ?  . 

In  him  “  personal  government  ”  has  experienced  another  overwhelming  defeat.  In  him, 
dynastic  ideas  are  disgraced  before  the  world.  In  him,  the  impertinent  intermeddling  of 
one  nation  in  the  special  interests  of  other  races,  has  received  its  severest  check.  In  him, 
the  flunkeyism  of  the  human  race  is  humiliated  as  never  before.  Let  us,  then,  be  satisfied 
with  his  career  as  another  illustration  of  that  power,  “which  always  wills  the  Bad,  and 
always  works  the  Good.”  To  him,  more  than  to  any  other  man,  Europe  owes  tv/o  new 
nations  —  Italy  and  Germany  ;  and  perhaps  the  blunders  by  which  he  assisted,  against 
his  will,  in  creating  them,  will  partly  atone,  on  the  great  balance-sheet  of  History,  for  the 
demoralization  and  shame  which  he  has  brought  upon  the  French  people. 


MARSHAL  MACMAHON. 

(  Commander  of  First  Corps  and  Army  of  the  Rhine.) 

War  makes  and  unmakes  a  good  many  heroes.  MacMahon 
is  the  McDowell  of  the  French  army.  His  place  was  at  the 
pinnacle  of  fame  when  he  marched  the  “  Army  of  the  Rhine  ” 
from  Strasburg.  Unfortunate  General !  Outnumbered  at 
Weisenburg  on  the  4th  of  August,  overpowered  at  Woerth 
August  6th,  and  captured  at  Sedan  September  1st.  He  be¬ 
longs  to  the  Hooker  order  of  fighters.  Marshal  MacMahon,  the 
Duke  of  Magenta,  is  not,  like  Moltke,  a  strategist ;  he  is  a  per¬ 
sonal  fighter.  He  would  make  a  better  division  than  corps 
commander.  He  fought  at  Woerth  as  Hooker  fought  at  Chan- 
cellorsville.  His  fighting  at  Sedan  is  thus  described  by  a 
French  writer : 

“To  relate  what  MacMahon  did  is  impossible.  Steel,  fire,  melted  metal,  explosive  balls, 
and  I  don’t  know  what  other  infernal  mixture  the  Prussians  there  made  use  of  for  the  first 
time,  appeared  to  stream  off,  or  to  rebound  from  him,  like  hail  from  a  roof.  He  went  to 
the  front  seeking  death.  ‘  Leave  me,  my  friends,’  he  said  to  us  all,  who  sought  to  pre¬ 
vent  him  from  going  forward.  1  Let  me  show  those  kings,  those  princes  who  hide  behind 
their  masses  of  men,  that  a  Marshal  of  France  knows  how  to  fight,  and,  when  beaten, 
how  to  die.’  And  he  smiled  upon  us  a  sad  smile,  which  made  us  weep,  and  redoubled 
our  rage.  Ah,  miserable  !  We  kill,  we  massacre,  and  the  living  seem  to  spring  up  from 
the  dead  which  we  heap  around  us.  We  climbed  a  little  mountain  of  dead  in  order  that 


LIVES  OF  FRENCH  COMMANDERS. 


91 


we  might  reckon  how  long  the  butchery  would  last.  My  sabre,  broken  and  reeking,  fell 
from  my  hands  when  I  saw  what  masses  we  had  still  to  deal  with.  The  plain,  the  hori¬ 
zon,  was  black  with  dust.  We  were  but  ants  in  a  huge  ant-hill.  *  Marshal,’  I  said, 
*  we  have  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  men  before  us.’  ‘No,’  he  replied,  gently; 
‘three  hundred  thousand.’  At  that  moment,  a  cloud  passed  before  my  eyes,  and  we 
went  mad.  We  regained  our  senses  only  when  we  found  ourselves  beyond  the  hordes  of 
uhlans  who  attacked  us.  We  had  been  fortunate  enough  to  reach  the  Belgian  frontier. 
We  were  safe ;  but  at  what  a  sacrifice  !  ” 

This  eminent  soldier,  whose  name  proclaims  his  descent  from  a  warlike  race,  is  in  the 
sixty-third  year  of  his  age.  He  received  his  military  education  at  Saint-Cyr,  from  which 
he  passed  to  the  Staff-Corps.  He  took  part  in  the  expedition  to  Algiers,  and  was  subse¬ 
quently  aide-de-camp  of  General  Achard  at  the  siege  of  Antwerp.  In  1833,  he  returned 
to  Africa,  and  rose  rapidly  in  his  profession,  until  in  1852  he  became  General  of  Division. 
In  1855,  he  commanded  an  infantry  division  in  Marshal  Bosquet’s  corps,  in  the  Crimea. 
In  this  capacity  he  took  a  personal  part  in  the  famous  and  successful  assault  of  the  Mal- 
akoff,  establishing  himself  in  that  work,  and  holding  it,  notwithstanding  the  repeated  and 
prolonged  efforts  of  the  Russians  to  dislodge  him.  For  this  service  he  was  decorated 
with  the  Grand  Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  on  the  return  of  peace  was  made  a  sen¬ 
ator.  In  1857,  he  was  again  in  Africa,  commanding  an  expedition  against  the  Kabyles, 
and  was  afterwards  appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  sea  and  land  forces  in  Algeria. 
It  was,  however,  the  Italian  war  which  first  placed  his  name  prominently  before  the  Euro¬ 
pean  public.  With  the  designation  of  Commander  of  the  Second  Army  Corps,  but  really 
by  the  side  of  the  Emperor,  he  rendered  at  the  great,  and  for  a  time  very  dubious,  battle 
of  Magenta,  services  so  important,  that  he  was  named  by  his  Sovereign,  and  on  the  field 
of  batde,  Duke  of  Magenta,  and  Marshal  of  France.  He  has  now  been  recalled  from  the 
Governor-Generalship  of  Algeria,  to  which  he  was  appointed  in  1864,  to  take  command  of 
the  First  Corps  and  the  “Army  of  the  Rhine.” 

The  Duke  of  Magenta  is  represented  as  combining  rapidity  of  judgment  with  calmness 
of  temper  and  firmness  of  purpose  in  a  remarkable  degree.  He  has  never  been  consid¬ 
ered  a  personal  favorite  of  the  Emperor,  who,  nevertheless,  highly  appreciates  his  abilities 
and  character.  It  may  be  interesting  to  recall  the  fact  that  he  was  the  officer  chosen  to 
represent  France  at  the  coronation  of  the  present  King  of  Prussia  in  1861,  a  position  which 
he  sustained  with  great  pomp  and  dignity. 

MARSHAL  BAZAINE. 

( Commander  of  Third  Corps  and  Army  of  the  Rhine.) 

The  fame  of  Marshal  Bazaine,  the  heroic  defender  of  Metz, 
has  gone  forth  to  every  schoolboy.  He  combines  the  ele¬ 
ments  of  the  old  Marshals  of  the  first  Napoleon  —  courage, 
tenacity,  and  unflinching  fidelity  to  his  commander-in-chief. 
Bazaine  is  a  stoic.  He  hates  new  things  —  hates  the  Repub¬ 
lic.  He  is  an  Imperialist  nascitur  and  fit.  “  Tell  them,”  said 
he  to  a  brother  of  Jules  Favre,  when  he  brought  news  of  the 
New  Republic  to  his  beleaguered  garrison,  “  tell  them  I  know 
no  Republic.  I  am  keeping  Metz  for  the  Emperor.”  Cour- 
celles  (August  14),  Mars-la-Tour  (August  16),  and  Gravelotte 


92 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  JVAR. 


(August  1 8)  attest  the  courage  of  Bazaine.  His  adoration  for 
Napoleon  III.  may  be  blind,  but  the  world  will  always  forgive 
a  General’s  devotion  to  his  commander. 

The  fame  of  Marshal  Bazaine  dates  from  the  Mexican  war,  of  which  he  has  himself 
written  a  history,  He  is  descended  from  an  old  military  family,  and  was  born  in  1811. 
He  was  educated  at  the  Ecole  Polytechnique,  and  in  his  twenty-first  year  proceeded  to 
Africa  —  for  so  many  years  the  great  French  school  of  war.  Six  years  afterwards,  he 
joined  the  Foreign  Legion,  and  went  through  two  campaigns  in  Spain  against  the  Car- 
lists.  Returning  to  Africa,  he  had  obtained  by  1850  the  command  of  a  regiment  of  the 
Foreign  Legion,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  war  was  appointed  to  command  a 
brigade  of  that  corps.  His  name  is  mentioned  several  times  as  that  of  a  skilful  and  brave 
officer  in  the  despatches  of  Marshals  Canrobert  and  Pelissier,  and  in  1855  he  was  made 
General  of  Division.  He  subsequently  commanded  the  French  expedition  against  Kin- 
burn.  When  in  1862,  while  the  civil  war  in  America  was  raging,  the  Emperor  of  the 
French  determined  to  prosecute  his  designs  upon  Mexico,  General  Bazaine  received  the 
command  of  the  first  division  of  infantry  in  General  Forey’s  expedition.  In  October  of 
the  following  year,  Forey  was  recalled,  and  Bazaine  advanced  to  the  chief  command.  In 
July,  1863,  he  led  his  army  into  the  city  of  Mexico,  and  commenced  a  series  of  vigorous 
operations  in  order  to  expel  President  Juarez,  whom  he  drove  to  the  frontier  of  the  Repub¬ 
lic,  and  whom  he  apparently  believed  he  had  expelled.  This,  at  least,  is  the  only  assump¬ 
tion  on  which  a  number  of  executions  of  duly  commissioned  officers  of  the  Republic,  who 
had  been  taken  prisoners  in  regular  war,  can  be  explained.  This  return  to  practices  wor¬ 
thier  of  a  semi-savage  Hispano-American  settlement  than  of  the  magnanimous  French 
people,  was  the  more  regrettable,  inasmuch  as  it  was  afterwards  made  the  excuse  for  the 
execution  of  the  unhappy  Maximilian,  whose  death  was  said  to  be  a  just  reprisal  for  sim¬ 
ilar  murders  committed  under  the  French  occupation  in  his  name.  General  Bazaine  did 
not  keep  up  a  good  understanding  with  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  who  at  length  avoided 
him,  to  follow  a  course  dictated  by  a  sentiment  of  personal  honor.  The  tragical  end  of 
the -enterprise  is  known.  The  French  marched  for  Vera  Cruz,  after  Bazaine,  who  had  re¬ 
ceived  the  rank  of  Marshal,  had  called  the  Mexican  notables  together,  and  told  them  that 
it  was  impossible  to  maintain  the  Empire,  and  that  the  war  against  Juarez  was  without 
object  and  without  hope.  His  conduct  was  severely  criticised,  on  his  return,  in  French 
journals  and  periodicals,  but  the  Emperor  has  constantly  protected  him.  His  services  in 
Mexico  have  been  rewarded  with  the  rank  and  emoluments  of  a  senator,  and  the  perma¬ 
nent  command  of  the  Third  Army  Corps.  He  is  also  honorary  commander-in-chief  of  the 
Imperial  Guard. 

GENERAL  CHARLES  AUGUSTE  FROSSARD. 

( Commander  of  the  Second  Army  Corps.) 

General  Frossard,  with  Bazaine,  besieged  in  Metz,  was  the 
first  French  General  to  invade  Prussia.  He  ordered  the  Saar- 
briick  advance  on  the  2d  of  August,  and  was  defeated  by 
Steinmetz  on  the  6th.  He  was  born  April  26,  1807  ;  was  from 
1825  to  1827  a  pupil  of  the  Polytechnic  School. 

During  the  administration  of  General  Cavaignac,  he  was  made  a  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  took  part  in  the  expedition  which  put  an  end  to  the  Roman  Republic.  Having  gained 


LIVES  OF  FRENCH  COMMANDERS. 


93 


the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  eminent  officers  in  point  of  military  science,  and  in 
particular  in  the  art  of  fortification,  he  was  appointed  in  1852  director  of  the  fortifications 
of  Oran,  in  Algeria,  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  and  subsequently,  after  being  appointed  gen¬ 
eral  of  brigade,  member  of  the  Committee  of  Fortifications.  In  1859,  he  took  part  as  gen¬ 
eral  of  division  in  the  Italian  campaign.  After  serving  as  aide-de-camp  to  the  Emperor, 
and  member  of  the  Committee  of  Defence,  General  Frossard  was,  by  decree  of  March  15, 
1867,  made  chief  of  the  military  household  of  the  Emperor,  and  Governor  of  the  Prince  Im¬ 
perial,  whose  military  instruction  he  is  said  to  have  conducted  with  military  rigor.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  year  1869,  he  was  appointed  President  of  the  Committee  of  Fortifica¬ 
tions. 

MARSHAL  CANROBERT. 

(  Commander  of  Sixth  Corps  and  the  Army  of  Paris.) 

Marshal  Canrobert  is  well  known  as  a  good  commander 
during  the  Russian  war.  He  was  born  in  1809,  of  a  good 
Breton  family. 

Like  MacMahon,  he  was  educated  at  St.  Cyr,  and  won  his  successive  steps  of  promo¬ 
tion  by  hard  fighting  in  Algeria,  was  wounded  in  the  assault  of  Constantine,  and  fulfilling 
the  prediction  of  Colonel  Combes,  who  fell  at  his  side,  that  “  there  was  a  future  for  that 
young  man,”  had  subsequently  the  good  fortune  to  be  incessandy  engaged  in  the  arduous 
operations  of  the  next  few  years.  Having  thus,  by  the  year  1847,  won  the  rank  of  col¬ 
onel,  he  commanded  the  expeditions  Ahmed-Sghir,  against  the  Kabyles  and  the  tribes  of 
Jurjura,  and  raised  the  blockade  of  Bonsada.  Having  returned  to  France  in  1850,  he 
soon  became  known  as  one  of  the  officers  who  had  identified  himself  with  the  cause  of  the 
Prince-President,  who  took  him  for  his  aide-de-camp,  made  him  a  general  of  brigade,  and 
gave  him  a  command  at  Paris,  in  which  he  displayed  great  energy  in  suppressing  the  at¬ 
tempt  at  insurrection  which  followed  the  coup  d'etat.  In  1853,  he  was  made  general 
of  division.  When  the  Crimean  war  broke  out,  he  was  appointed  to  command  the  first 
division  of  the  Army  of  the  East,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  suffered  very  severely 
from  cholera  in  the  Dobrudscha.  At  the  battle  of  the  Alma  he  was  wounded,  but  not  se¬ 
verely,  in  the  arm.  Two  days  afterwards,  Marshal  St.  Arnaud,  suffering  from  a  mortal 
sickness,  following  the  previous  directions  of  the  Emperor,  transferred  to  him  the  chief 
command.  The  position  had  become  difficult,  but  Canrobert  faced  it  with  patience  and 
perseverance.  In  the  end,  however,  a  disagreement  with  Lord  Raglan  about  the  conduct 
of  the  war,  led  Canrobert  to  resign  his  command  to  Marshal  Pelissier,  and  return  to  his 
first  corps.  Two  months  afterwards  he  left  the  Crimea,  and  in  1856  was  made  a  Marshal 
of  France.  In  the  Italian  war  he  commanded  the  Third  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Alps,  and 
distinguished  himself  at  Magenta  by  his  personal  valor,  and  at  Solferino  by  the  timeliness 
with  which  he  countervailed  an  Austrian  movement  which  threatened  to  place  the  army  in 
peril. 

GENERAL  PIERRE  LOUIS  ACHILLE  DE  FAILLY. 

( Commander  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps.) 

General  De  Failly  was  born  in  1808,  received  his  military 
education  at  St.  Cyr,  and  was,  at  the  time  of  the  revolution  of 
1848,  lieutenant-colonel  of  a  regiment  of  the  line.  He  took 
part  in  the  Crimean  war  as  brigadier-general,  and  greatly  dis- 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  IVAR. 


9-i 


languished  himself  at  the  battles  of  the  Alma,  of  the  Mamelon- 
Vert,  and  of  Tracktir. 

After  his  return,  he  was  made  aide-de-camp  of  the  Emperor,  and  during  the  Italian 
war  he  commanded  a  division  of  the  army  corps  of  General  Niel,  and  distinguished  him¬ 
self  at  Magenta  and  Solferino.  In  1867,  he  was  selected  to  put  down  the  Garibaldian 
movement,  and  in  this  campaign  made  the  first  trial  on  a  large  scale  of  the  chassepot, 
which,  as  he  said  in  his  report,  worked  wonderfully  at  Mentana.  In  October,  1869,  Gen¬ 
eral  De  Failly  was  appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Third  Army  Corps.  His  command 
at  Sedan  was  the  Fifth  Corps,  which  withdrew  from  Bitche  on  the  5th  of  August,  and  was 
overpowered  and  defeated  with  MacMahon  at  Weisenburg,  on  the  6th.  De  Failly  surren¬ 
dered  with  MacMahon  at  Sedan  on  the  1st  of  September.  He  was  wounded  at  Sedan, 
but  not  seriously.  He  received  an  assault  on  that  occasion  from  a  squad  of  common  sol¬ 
diers,  who,  starving  themselves,  saw  the  General  eating,  and  became  enraged. 

GENERAL  DOUAY. 

(  Commander  of  Seventh  Corps,  MacMahon!  s  Army.) 

General  Douay  was  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  What 
wonder  that  MacMahon  gave  him  the  post  of  honor  on  his  right 
at  Weisenburg  ?  He  was  the  Ellsworth  of  the  war,  and  met 
his  death  in  the  first  shock  of  battle.  His  death  at  Weisen¬ 
burg  on  the  4th  of  August  threw  dismay  into  the  hearts  of  his 
troops,  and  caused  the  first  defeat  of  the  war.  He  had  learned 
to  fight  with  MacMahon  in  Algiers.  His  African  education  did 
not  avail  him  against  the  organized  forces  of  a  civilized  nation. 
He  was  killed  at  the  front,  organizing  a  regiment  of  demoral¬ 
ized  Turcos.  Brave  General !  He  died  with  his  face  to  the 
foe,  and  with  his  sword  raised  for  France. 

GENERAL  EDMOND  LEBCEUF. 

(Minister  of  War.) 

General  Leboeuf  was  bom  November  5,  1809  ;  received  his  military  edu¬ 
cation  at  the  Polytechnic  Institute,  and  at  the  Artillery  School  in  Metz. 
He  was  a  teacher  at  the  Polytechnic  from  1848  to  1850,  and  on  return¬ 
ing  to  active  service  in  the  army,  was  made  colonel  of  artillery.  During 
the  entire  Crimean  war  he  held  the  command-in-chief  of  the  French  artil¬ 
lery,  and  served  with  great  distinction  in  the  same  capacity  in  Italy,  in 
1S59.  Succeeding  Marshal  Niel  as  Minister  of  War,  he  introduced  essen¬ 
tial  reforms  in  the  organization  of  the  army,  and  his  administrative  talents 
also  found  a  vast  field  for  useful  activity.  Napoleon  rewarded  him  for  his 
manifold  services,  by  conferring  on  him,  in  1866,  the  highest  rank  in  the 
Legion  of  Honor. 


LIVES  OF-  FRENCH  COMMANDERS. 


95 


GENERAL  TROCHU. 

(  Commander  of  the  Fortifications  of  Paris.) 

General  Trochu  is  a  writing,  fighting  man.  Parisians  call 
him  “ Ollivier  on  a  war-footing."  He  is  Ben  Butler  with  the 
pen,  and  Hancock  with  the  sword. 

The  General  is  Governor  of  Paris  and  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  forces  collected  for  the 
defence  of  that  city,  and  is  fifty-five  years  of  age.  He  was  a  pupil  of  the  military  school  of 
St.  Cyr  and  the  staff  school,  and  enjoys  a  very  high  reputation  for  military  ability,  though  he 
has  never  yet  held  a  detached  command.  He  has  served  in  Algeria,  having  for  some  years 
been  employed  on  Marshal  Bugeaud's  staff.  He  was  afterwards  one  of  Marshal  St.  Ar- 
naud's  aides-de-camp  at  the  time  of  the  Crimean  expedition,  in  1854.  After  that  com¬ 
mander  s  death,  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  general,  and  commanded  a  brigade  of 
infantry  until  the  end  of  the  Russian  war.  During  the  Italian  campaign  of  1859,  which 
was  ended  by  the  victory  of  Solferino,  he  served  with  distinction  in  command  of  a  divi¬ 
sion.  Since  that  time  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Consulting  Staff  Committee  at  the 
Ministry  of  War,  and  at  the  end  of  1866  he  was  specially  appointed  to  consider  and  re¬ 
port  upon  plans  for  a  reorganization  of  the  French  army,  in  consequence  of  the  aggran¬ 
dizement  of  Prussia.  In  the  following  year  he  published  anonymously  a  book  entitled, 
“The  French  Army  in  1867,”  which  attracted  great  attention,  and  passed  through  ten  edi¬ 
tions  in  six  months.  In  it  he  severely  criticised  the  organization  of  the  French  army,  and 
especially  the  consequences  of  those  changes  introduced  under  the  Empire,  which  tended 
to  render  the  soldiery  a  separate  and  professional  caste,  severed  in  interest  and  feeling 
from  their  civilian  countrymen.  He  received  no  appointment  in  the  Army  of  the  Rhine 
when  the  present  war  broke  out ;  but  it  is  understood  that  he  was  to  have  commanded  the 
land  forces  which  were  to  have  composed  the  Baltic  expedition,  but  which  were  recalled 
from  Cherbourg  and  Brest  to  defend  Paris  and  Metz. 

Trochu  has  been  made  President  of  the  new  French  Republic.  His  position  as  Com¬ 
mander  of  Paris  is  de  jure  from  the  Emperor,  while  his  Presidential  position  is  de  facto 
from  the  Republic. 


GENERAL  BOURBAKI. 

( Imperial  Guards.) 

Bourbaki,  like  Bazaine,  is  one  of  the  Imperialist  commanders. 
His  sympathies  could  never  be  naturally  with  a  Republic.  In  case 
of  an  insurrection,  Napoleon  wanted  a  man  as  commander  of 
the  Guards  in  whom  he  could  put  the  utmost  confidence  —  one 
who  loved  him  personally,  and  one  who  loved  Caesarism  and  a 
personal  government.  Bourbaki  is  such  a  man.  Placed  in 
command  of  the  Imperial  Guards  (32,000),  he  joined  Bazaine 
in  Metz  after  the  disasters  of  Worth  and  Weisenburg.  He 
fought  splendidly  at  Gravelotte,  meeting  the  charge  of  the  Bran¬ 
denburg  cavalry  face  to  face.  He  was  driven  with  L’Admi- 
rault,  Canrobert,  and  Frossard  into  the  walls  of  Metz,  and 


9G 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


stood  the  siege  with  them  until  the  30th  of  September,  when 
he  was  permitted  to  leave  Metz  on  a  visit  to  the  Empress  at 
Hastings,  England,  and  afterwards  to  the  Emperor  at  Wilhelms- 
hohe. 

As  there  was  no  longer  a  hope  for  the  Empire,  Bourbaki 
returned  to  Metz,  but  he  was  not  permitted  to  re-enter  the 
fortifications.  Not  being  able  to  join  Bazaine,  Bourbaki  visited 
the  new  Republican  Government  at  Tours,  offering  his  services 
to  the  Republic,  not,  however,  without  some  suspicion  as  to  his 
sincerity.  He  may  yet  prove  a  dangerous  ally  for  Napoleon 
III.  It  will  be  a  surprise  if  he  shall  prove  to  be,  as  Bazaine’ s 
brother  claims  for  him,  “  a  marshal  of  France,  not  of  the  Em¬ 
pire.” 

GENERAL  CHANGARNIER. 

(Accepted  adviser  of  the  Emperor.) 

General  Changarnier  is  an  officer  whose  political  opinions 
have  deprived  him  of  the  opportunity  of  fulfilling  the  promise 
of  his  youth. 

When  the  present  Emperor  became  the  Chief  of  the  State,  there  were  not  three  officers 
in  France  who  would  have  been  placed  on  the  same  line  with  him.  Under  the  Restora¬ 
tion  he  served  in  Spain  and  Algeria,  and  gready  distinguished  himself  under  Marshal 
Clausel  against  Achmet  Bey,  in  the  retreat  from  Constantine  upon  Bone.  After  a  long 
series  of  brilliant  services  he  was  made  Commander  of  Algeria  by  the  Duke  d’Aumale.  In 
1848  he  returned  to  France,  whither  his  reputation  had  preceded  him,  and  was  offered  the 
Berlin  Embassy,  which  he  declined.  Soon  after  he  was  sent  to  Algeria  as  Governor-Gen¬ 
eral  and  Commander-in-Chief.  Having  been  elected  to  the  Constituent  Assembly  he  re¬ 
turned  to  France,  and  received  the  command  of  the  National  Guard,  and  afterwards  of 
the  garrison  of  Paris.  Soon  after  he  became  the  object  of  political  suspicions.  He  was 
known  to  be  the  enemy  of  the  Republic,  and  while  some  thought  him  capable  of  at¬ 
tempting  to  restore  the  Orleanists,  he  for  two  years  supported  Louis  Napoleon.  At  length 
he  separated  himself  from  that  Prince,  and  was  deprived  of  his  commands.  In  the  Cham¬ 
ber  he  declared  against  the  ambition  of  “Csesar,”  and  accordingly  was  one  of  those  who 
were  seized  and  shut  up  on  the  memorable  Second  of  December.  Since  then  his  career 
has  been  closed.  On  the  outbreak  of  this  quarrel,  he  offered  his  services  to  his  country, 
but  they  were  refused.  After  the  defeat  of  MacMahon  and  Frossard,  Changarnier  flew  to 
the  front,  met  the  Emperor,  and  became  his  confidential  adviser  in  his  days  of  disaster. 
His  love  for  France  overcame  his  hate  for  the  Emperor. 

COUNT  PALIKAO. 

Charles-Guillaume-Marie-Appollinaire-Antoine  Cousin-Mont- 
auban,  Count  of  Palikao,  General  and  Senator.  After  the  re¬ 
verses  of  Worth  and  Weisenburg,  when  Napoleon  slaughtered 
Ollivier,  Palikao  took  the  place  of  De  Jean  as  Minister  of  War. 


LIVES  OF  FRENCH  COMMANDERS. 


or 


He  made  an  active  War  Minister  until  Trochu  succeeded  him 
under  the  regime  of  the  Republic.  The  French  War  Ministers, 
during  the  campaign  of  1870,  have  been  Leboeuf,  De  Jean 
ad  interim ,  Palikao,  and  Trochu. 

Count  Palikao,  born  June  24,  1796,  went  into  Algeria  at  an  early  age,  distinguished  him¬ 
self  as  officer  of  cavalry,  and  was,  after  more  than  twenty  years  of  uninterrupted  service, 
entrusted  with  the  command  of  the  Tlemcen  Division,  and  finally  with  that  of  Constantine. 
Recalled  to  France,  he  was  for  some  time  at  the  head  of  the  Twenty-first  Military  Division. 
In  i860,  he  took  command  of  the  French  expedition  into  China,  and  had  the  honor  of  ac¬ 
complishing  the  almost  marvellous  invasion  which  carried  the  flags  of  France  and  England 
to  the  capital  of  that  vast  empire.  The  destruction  of  numerous  Chinese  forts,  the  splen¬ 
did  victory  at  Palikao,  and  the  entrance  of  the  Allies  into  Peking,  forced  the  Chinese  Gov¬ 
ernment  to  accept  of  a  treaty  imposed  by  the  Allies.  Returning  to  France  in  July,  1861,  he 
was  made  Senator  of  France,  Count  of  Palikao,  and  Commander  of  the  Fourth  Army  Corps. 
In  i860,  he  had  been  42  years  in  active  service,  and  had  fought  in  28  different  battles. 

COUNT  JEAN-BAPTISTE-PHILIBERT  VAILLANT. 

( Marshal 0/ France  and  Senator.) 

Marshal  Vaillant  was  born  at  Dijon  December  6,  1790,  was  admitted  to  the  Polytechnic 
school  in  Paris  at  the  age  of  17,  entered  the  army  as  second  Lieutenant  in  1809,  and  from 
that  moment  took  an  active  part  in  the  last  campaign  of  the  first  Empire.  When  Napoleon 
undertook  the  great  expedition*  into  Russia,  Vaillant  on  several  occasions  gave  proof  of 
rare  energy  and  indomitable  courage,  but  was  finally  made  prisoner,  and  remained  in  cap¬ 
tivity  until  peace  was  re-established.  At  once  returning  to  the  army,  he  distinguished  him¬ 
self  by  his  gallant  conduct  at  Ligny  and  Waterloo.  He  studied  military  works  to  great 
advantage,  and  was  soon  offered  an  occasion  to  show  his  unusual  talents  during  the  expedi¬ 
tion  to  Algeria,  and  in  1832  during  the  memorable  siege  of  Antwerp.  In  1851  he  superin¬ 
tended  the  siege  of  Rome,  and  after  taking  that  city  was  made  Marshal  of  France  on 
December  n  of  the  same  year.  During  the  Crimean  war  he  was  appointed  Minister  of 
War,  in  which  position  he  remained  active  until  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  in  Italy  in  1859, 
where  he  participated  as  Major-General  of  the  Army  of  the  Alps,  without  finding  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  assist  at  any  of  the  sanguinary  battles  fought  during  that  campaign. 

COUNT  ACHILLE  BARAGUAY  D’HILLIERS.  . 

( Marshal  of  France ,  Vice-President  of  the  Senate.) 

Marshal  D’Hilliers  was  bom  in  Paris  Sept.  6,  1795,  entered  the  army  while  yet  almost  a 
child.  He  fought  at  the  battle  of  Leipsic,  where  part  of  his  left  hand  was  carried  away  by 
a  bullet.  During  the  “  Hundred  Days,”  he  embraced  the  cause  of  the  Restoration,  was 
assigned  to  the  Royal  Guards,  and  afterward  ordered  to  Spain.  In  1830  he  joined  the 
Algerian  expedition,  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  military  school  of  St.  Cyr  in 
1836,  and  remained  in  that  position  till  1840,  when  he  was  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the 
Governor-General  of  Algeria,  led  several  expeditions  against  the  Arabs,  and  was  finally 
appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  Constantine.  In  1851  he  was  instrumental  in  securing 
the  success  of  the  coup  d) etat ,  and  was  nominated  a  member  of  the  Consultative  Com¬ 
mission.  At  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  between  the  allies  and  Russia,  the  command  of  the 
expedition  to  the  Baltic  was  conferred  on  him,  when  he  took  the  fortress  of  Bomarsund. 
During  the  campaign  of  1859  he  commanded  the  first  corps  of  the  Army  of  the  Alps, 
fought  the  battle  of  Melegnano,  and  took  an  important  part  in  the  battle  of  Solferino. 

5 


98 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


MARSHAL  ELIE  FREDERIC  FOREY 
(Senator), 

was  born  in  Paris  on  January  io,  1804 ;  was  admitted  to  the  school  of  St.  Cyr  in  1822 ; 
took  part  in  the  expedition  to  Algeria,  and  distinguished  himself  at  the  battle  of  M6deah. 
In  1840,  he  was  called  to  the  command  of  a  battalion  of  chasseurs  defied,  assisted  in  four 
expeditions  into  the  interior  of  the  Kabyle  country,  and  after  his  return  to  France  materi¬ 
ally  contributed  to  the  success  of  the  coup  d'etat  of  the  Second  of  December,  as  an  ac¬ 
knowledgment  of  which  he  was  rewarded  with  the  cross  of  Commander  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor,  and  by  an  appointment  as  General  of  Division.  In  the  Crimea  he  commanded 
for  a  short  time  the  troops  around  Sebastopol.  During  the  Italian  war  he  gave  proof  of 
his  superior  talent  and  bravery,  and  was  the  first  French  General  who  offered  battle  to 
the  Austrians  at  Montebello,  where,  after  a  murderous  engagement,  he  forced  the  enemy 
to  retreat.  In  July,  1862,  he  was  appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Mexican  expedi¬ 
tion,  and  led  the  remarkable  attack  on  the  fortress  of  Puebla,  but  returned  to  France  in 
October,  1863,  after  transferring  the  command  of  the  army  into  the  hands  of  Marshal  Ba- 
zaine. 

COUNT  JACQUES  LOUIS  CESAR  ALEXANDRE  RANDON 
( Marshal  of  France ), 

was  born  at  Grenoble  March  25,  1795,  enlisted  in  the  French  army  at  an  early  age,  went 
into  Russia  with  the  grand  army,  and  after  the  return  of  that  disastrous  expedition,  fought 
at  the  battle  of  L'utzen,  where  he  was  severely  wounded.  After  the  final  overthrow  of  the 
first  Empire,  his  well-known  attachment  to  the  cause  of  Napoleon  retarded  his  military 
advancement,  until,  in  1838,  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the  Chasseurs  d’Afrique,  went 
into  the  French  colony  of  Algeria,  and  distinguished  himself  during  ten  years  of  incessant 
warfare  against  the  Arabs.  After  his  return  to  France  he  was  appointed  Minister  of  War, 
in  1851,  but  handed  in  his  resignation  ere  long,  and  returned  to  Algeria  as  Governor-Gen¬ 
eral  of  that  colony,  which  position  he  occupied  at  the  time  of  its  reorganization  in  1858.  In 
1859  he  was  again  appointed  Minister  of  War,  and  as  such  remained  in  the  Imperial  Cab¬ 
inet  until  he  was  relieved  on  January  19,  1867. 

GENERAL  WIMPFFEN. 

( Surrenderer  of  Sedan.) 

Emanuel  Felix  de  Wimpffen,  the  general  who  has  become  famous  by  misfortune,  has 
gone  through  the  Algerian  and  provincial  career  of  discipline  and  army  experience  usual 
in  the  French  army.  He  belonged  to  the  Imperial  Guard  in  the  Crimea,  and  was  made 
general  for  his  distinguished  services  in  the  Italian  campaign.  He  was  commandant  of 
Algeria  and  of  Oran.  By  a  coincidence,  there  is  an  officer  of  the  same  name  in  the  service 
of  Austria,  now  a  field-marshal. 

General  Wimpffen  was  strongly  opposed  to  the  surrender  of  Sedan.  He  proposed  to 
cut  his  way  through  the  Prussians.  The  timid  heart  of  the  Emperor  overcame  his  resolu¬ 
tion,  and  with  an  air  of  utter  disconsolation  he  gave  up  his  sword  to  the  victorious  Prus¬ 
sians. 


PRUSSIA  AND  FRANCE  COMPARED. 


99 


PRUSSIA  AND  FRANCE  COMPARED. 


Prussia  has  a  population  of  thirty-one  millions,  counting  the 
whole  North  German  Confederation,  with  Hanover,  Hesse- 
Cassel,  Schlsewig-Holstein,  Frankfort,  and  the  German  States 
north  of  the  river  Main.  The  South  German  States  number 
nine  millions.  Total,  40,000,000. 

France  has  a  population  of  38,000,000. 

Prussia  has  four  iron-clad  ships  —  the  King  William ,  Prince 
William ,  Prince  Charles ,  and  Prince  Adalbert —  and  six  iron 
clad  gunboats  armed  with  Krupp’s  guns. 

France  has  forty-five  iron-clads  (11  entirely  of  iron). 

Prussia,  on  a  peace  footing,  has  480,000  men. 

France,  on  a  peace  footing,  has  434,000  men. 

Prussia,  on  a  war  footing,  has  970,000  men. 

France,  on  a  war  footing,  has  660,000  men. 

Prussia  has  a  war  treasure  of  200,000,000,  and  200,000,000 
in  the  government  coffers. 

France  has  1,300,000,000  in  the  Bank  of  France. 

By  putting  the  finances  of  England  at  par  — 

France’s  wealth  would  be  86  per  cent. 


Prussia’s  “ 

Belgium’s  “ 

Holland’s  “ 

Switzerland’s  “ 
England’s  “ 


17 

63 

7i 

47 

100 


«  « 


As  Prussia  has  now  (including  German  troops)  seventeen 
corps  d’armee  (680,000  men)  in  the  field,  or  nearly  ready  to 
take  the  field,  she  is  nearly  on  a  war  footing. 

The  standing  army  of  the  South  German  States  is  1 70,325  men. 


BAVARIAN  ARMY. 

War  footing —  Officers  and  men,  69,064  ;  reserves,  25,757  ; 
garrison  troops,  22,614;  together  with  17,236  horses  and  240 
guns. 

WURTEMBERG  ARMY. 

The  army  in  1868  consisted  of  34,405  men,  of  which  14,150 
were  in  active  sendee. 


100 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


COMMANDERS  OF  THE  PRUSSIAN  ARMY, 

WITH  THEIR  BIOGRAPHIES. 

Commander-in-Chief,  King  William  I. 

Secretary  of  War  and  Marine,  Albrecht  Theodore  Emil  Von 
Roon. 

Chief  of  Staff,  and  Military  Adviser,  General  Count  Von 
Moltke. 

ist  Army  Commander  (ist,  7th,  8th  Corps),  General  Charles 
Frederick  Von  Steinmetz. 

2d  Army  Commander  (2d,  3d,  9th,  and  10th  Corps),  Prince 
Frederick  Charles  of  Prussia. 

3d  Army  Commander  (5th,  6th,  nth,  and  two  Bavarian 
Corps),  the  Crown  Prince  (Frederick  William). 

4th  Army  Commander  (4th,  12th  Corps,  Saxon  and  Prussian 
Guards),  The  Prince  Royal  of  Saxony. 

5  th  Army  Commander  (13  Corps  Wiirtemberg  and  Baden 
Divisions),  General  Werder. 

6th  Army  Commander  (14th  and  15th  Corps  Reserves), 
Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 

7th  Army  Commander  (16th  and  17th  Corps  Reserves), 
General  Von  Canstein. 


AUGUST  7,  1870. 


POSITION  OF  PRUSSIAN  ARMY. 


101 


POSITION  OF  PRUSSIAN  ARMY,  600,000  (nearly). 


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This  Table  was  arranged  by  Mr.  George  W.  Bible,  who  wrote  an  admirable  work  on  France  and  Prussia,  in  August,  1870. 


103. 


coNOTiOTIS*  TON  AtTOSSLMlBN.  3HP  corps. 


nuoo  iE.  von  icincnBACn,  ctii  corps. 


WILHELM  VON  TPHPLINO,  Cm  COUPS. 


j t Lius  von  bose,  11th  corps. 


r.DWAltn  P.  VON  I  RAN9ECKV,  ‘2ND  CORPS. 


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m  I'PWIN  V.  VON  MASTKUITEL,  1ST  CORPS. 
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B  ..^^^sS^^^^fALCERT,  CROW 


A  UG  rSTCSVOSCOEBEN, 


VON  MANSTEIN,  10TU  CORPS, 


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rm  corps. 

|JM  CONSTANTINE  C.  VON  TOIGTS-KUETZ,  10TII  CORPS* 


'IN  RICH  A.  VON  7. ASTRO W 


OFNFRALS  OF  THF.  PRUSSIAN  ARMY.- 


LIVES  OF  PRUSSIAN  COMMANDERS. 


103 


SOUTH  GERMAN  STATES. 

The  following  comprise  the  South  German  States : 


States. 

Area. 

Population 

Revenue. 

Public  Debt 

Ruler. 

Title. 

Date 

of 

Access 

Bavaria*  (deduct 
provinces  ced- 

Florins. 

Florins. 

Ludwig  II 

King. 

ed  to  Prussia). 

170,688 

7,774,464 

87,144,606 

Florins. 

334,405,15° 

Florins. 

1864 

Wiirtemberg*.  . . 

H  e  sse-D  arm- 
stadtt  (except 
the  upper  pro- 
vince,  which 
belongs  to 

7,568 

1,748,328 

22,395,9Sl 

Guilders. 

126,860,470 

Florins. 

Charles  I. 

King. 

1864 

N.  Germany) . 

2.970 

564.465 

9,407,008 

Florins. 

2,088,000 

Florins. 

Louis  III. 

Grand  Duke 

1849 

Badent . 

5,9™ 

187,138 

1,429,199 

11,516,456 

28,898,998 

3,228,003 

Frederick. 

Grand  Duke 

1832 

*  Limited  Monarchy  ;  two  chambers.  t  Limited  Sovereignty ;  two  chambers. 


THE  PRUSSIAN  ARMY 

is  composed  of  17  corps,  each  having  40,000  men  —  or  a  total  of 
680,000.  There  are  (except  in  the  corps  of  the  guard)  two  divisions 
of  infantry  and  one  division  of  cavalry  in  each  corps,  or  in  all 
nearly  34  divisions  of  infantry,  17  divisions  of  cavalry,  58  brig¬ 
ades  of  infantry,  and  34  brigades  of  cavalry.  The  last  army 
corps  formed  have  not  full  complement  of  cavalry. 

The  field  army  has  1272  guns. 

The  navy  (peace  footing)  employs  1200  men,  commanded  by 
Prince  Adalbert,  Chief  Admiral. 


BIOGRAPHIES  OF  PRUSSIAN  COMMANDERS. 

KING  WILLIAM  I. 

King  William  I.  was  born  in  1 797.  His  father  was  Frederick 
William  III.,  and  his  grandfather  was  Frederick  William  II., 
nephew  of  Frederick  the  Great,  born  in  Berlin  in  1712.  The 
mother  of  Frederick  the  Great  was  the  sister  of  George  I. 
of  England.  We  will  not  dwell  further  on  the  house  of  Ho- 


104 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


henzollern.  Sufficient  is  it  for  the  world  to  know  that  King 
William  belongs  to  a  race  noted  for  integrity,  zeal,  and  un¬ 
flinching  courage. 

The  supreme  command  of  the  German  armies  is  exercised 
by  the  King.  His  Secretary  of  War  is  Von  Roon,  and  his 
most  reliable  companion  and  military  adviser  is 

GENERAL  COUNT  VON  MOLTKE. 

Moltke,  Bismarck,  and  Von  Roon  are  the  great  men  of 
Europe :  Von  Roon  for  military  organization,  Bismarck  for 
diplomacy,  and  Moltke  for  field  strategy.*  Moltke  is  the  Sher¬ 
man  of  the  war,  Von  Roon  the  Stanton,  and  Bismarck  the 
Seward.  Von  Moltke  planned  the  victories  of  Koniggratz  and 
Sadowa  from  the  telegraph  office  in  Berlin. 

Von  Moltke  is  by  birth  a  Mecklenberger,  and  was  born  in  1800.  He  at  first  entered  the 
service  of  Denmark,  but  at  an  early  age  transferred  himself  to  that  of  Prussia,  and  devoted 
himself  with  unwearied  energy  to  a  scientific  study  of  the  conditions  of  success  in  war. 
In  1832  he  became  a  staff  officer,  and  three  years  later  visited  the  East,  where  he  was 
presented  to  the  Sultan  Mahmoud,  who  persuaded  him  to  remain  in  Turkey  several  years, 
and  take  part  in  the  military  reforms  of  which  the  army  stood  greatly  in  need,  and  to  assist 
in  the  Syrian  campaign.  Having  returned  to  Prussia,  he  was  appointed  in  1856  aide-de- 
camp  to  the  present  King,  at  that  time  the  Crown  Prince.  In  1858  he  was  appointed 
Chief  of  the  General  Staff.  In  this  capacity  he  is  believed  to  have  drawn  up  the  plan  of 
an  expedition  intended  to  arrest  the  progress  of  the  French  arms  in  Italy,  in  1859.  Such  at 
least  was  the  suspicion  of  the  French  Emperor,  which  was  supposed  at  the  time  to  be  the 
real  cause  of  the  sudden  and  surprising  conclusion  of  the  peace  of  Villafranca.  In  1864  he 
accompanied  Prince  Frederic  Charles,  as  chief  of  his  staff,  in  the  expedition  which  the 
former  led  against  Denmark.  His  high  reputation,  however,  rests  on  his  most  skilful  di¬ 
rection  of  the  war  against  Austria  in  1866,  the  plan  of  which  he  had  previously  prepared. 
Moltke’s  name  was  very  litde  heard  of  during  the  war,  while  those  of  his  subordinates 
were  trumpeted  abroad.  No  man  ever  produced  greater  effects  with  less  ostentation  and 
noise.  Only  once,  and  then  at  Koniggratz,  did  he  appear  in  front  of  the  armies.  Seated 
at  his  desk  in  the  rear,  he  received  through  the  field-telegraph  a  continuous  stream  of  in¬ 
telligence  from  all  the  corps,  followed  their  movements  on  the  map,  transmitted  his  orders 
to  the  generals  in  command  by  the  wires,  and  performed  all  this  with  such  skill  and  fore¬ 
sight  that  not  a  movement  failed,  and  every  combination  was  made  at  the  right  moment. 
He  is  said  to  have  worked  out  with  his  own  hand,  and  himself  calculated,  almost  every 
detail  of  those  operations,  the  consequences  of  which  have  astonished  Europe.  After 
victory  had  been  realized,  Moltke  was  joined  with  Bismarck  as  plenipotentiary  of  Prussia 
for  the  negotiations  with  the  South  German  States,  and  when  the  preliminary  peace  with 
Austria  had  been  signed,  he  received  the  Order  of  the  Black  Eagle,  the  highest  decoration 
which  the  King  of  Prussia  has  to  confer. 

*  The  day  after  the  capitulation  of  Sedan  the  King  of  Prussia  gave  the  following  toast : 

“We  must  to-day,  out  of  gratitude,  drink  the  health  of  my  brave  army.  You,  War 
Minister  Von  Roon,  have  sharpened  our  sword ;  you,  General  Moltke,  have  guided  it ; 
you,  my  Fritz  (Crown  Prince)  and  Prince  Charles  of  Saxony,  have  struck  the  blows;  and 
you,  Count  Bismarck,  have  for  years,  by  political  diplomacy,  brought  Prussia  to  its  posi¬ 
tion  of  unity  and  elevation.” 


LIVES  OF  PRUSSIAN  COMMANDERS. 


105 


ALBRECHT  THEODORE  EMIL  VON  ROON, 
Minister  of  War  and  Marine,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Colberg, 
April  30,  1803.  He  received  his  education  in  a  Prussian  mili¬ 
tary  school,  and  was  afterward  assigned  as  a  teacher  to  a  similar 
institution  in  Berlin. 

Besides  his  assiduous  studies  of  everything  connected  directly  with  military  science,  he 
devoted  himself  especially  to  the  publication  of  his  now  world-renowned  topographical 
charts,  and  of  works  on  history  and  geography.  In  1831,  he  entered  the  Prussian  army, 
and  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  was  appointed  major-general  in  1858,  and  shortly  after¬ 
ward  Minister  of  War,  in  which  position  he  applied  himself  diligently  to  the  reorganization 
of  the  Prussian  army.  During  the  preparations  for  the  campaign  of  1866,  he  had  occasion 
to  prove  to  what  point  of  perfection  the  process  of  mobilization  had  been  carried  in  Prussia ; 
and  the  number  of  troops,  horses,  and  pieces  of  artillery,  as  well  as  the  quantity  of  ammu¬ 
nition  and  provisions,  which  could  be  sent  forward  to  the  theatre  of  war  at  the  shortest 
notice,  are  really  astounding. 

To  Von  Roon  is  due  the  credit  of  organizing  the  Prussian 
army.  It  was  he  who,  in  five  days,  threw  300,000  soldiers 
from  Germany  across  the  Rhine.  Bismarck  organized  the 
States  and  made  them  Prussian,  Von  Roon  organized  their  sol¬ 
diers,  Von  Moltke  distributed  them  in  battle,  and  Prince  Charles, 
the  Crown  Princes  of  Prussia  and  Saxony,  and  Von  Steinmetz, 
have  done  the  fighting. 

PRINCE  FREDERICK  CHARLES  OF  PRUSSIA 

(The  Centre ), 

who  commanded  the  First  Army  in  1866,  and  who  won  the  bat¬ 
tle  of  Gravelotte  by  his  brilliant  flank  movement  on  Bazaine’s 
right,  is  the  eldest  son  of  Prince  Charles,  the  second  brother 
of  the  King,  and  may  be  taken  as  the  representative  of  the 
modern  progressive  Prussian  officer. 

He  was  born  in  1828,  has  from  his  youth  devoted  himself  to  the  military  profession,  is  a 
general  of  cavalry,  and  holds  a  number  of  high  appointments.  He  commanded  in  the 
war  against  Denmark  in  1864.  In  1866,  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  First  Army 
destined  to  operate  against  Austria,  entering  Bohemia  through  Saxony,  and  so  conducted 
his  forces  through  the  latter  country  as  to  make  its  people  friends  of  Prussia.  The  ex¬ 
treme  rapidity  and  energy  of  movement  which  he  displayed  in  Bohemia  disconcerted  the 
Austrian  general,  Benedek,  who  had  calculated  upon  being  allowed  to  assume  the  offen¬ 
sive.  In  a  series  of  actions  he  drove  the  Austrians  to  Sadowa,  and  won  the  great  battle  of 
Koniggriitz,  aided  by  the  Crown  Prince,  who,  bringing  up  the  Second  Army,  effected  his 
junction  with  Prince  Frederick  Charles  at  the  crisis  of  the  day.  Prince  Charles  enjoys 
boundless  popularity  with  the  army.  He  has  a  prince’s  memory  for  names  and  persons, 
and  has  a  kind  word  for  everybody  as  he  passes  along.  The  soldiers  know  that  he  takes 
a  strong  and  practical  interest  in  their  well-being,  and  that  he  has  labored  successfully  to 
improve  their  position.  A  British  officer,  whom  we  have  before  quoted,  and  who  accom¬ 
panied  the  French  army  during  its  campaign,  says,  that  with  all  the  dash  and  fire  of  a 


106 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


cavalry  officer,  he  can  equally  well  lead  his  squadrons  to  pursue  the  broken  enemy,  and 
direct  his  infantry  and  artillery  with  patience  in  an  attack  against  a  firm  and  steady  line. 
“He  has  a  singular  power  of  making  his  troops  care  little  for  fatigue  and  hardship  ;  on 
the  line  of  march  he  is  always  with  his  men,  and  can,  by  a  few  happy  words,  close  up  the 
straggling  ranks  of  a  weary  battalion,  and  send  the  men  forward  cheering  loudly.”  Prince 
Frederick  Charles  has  labored  strenuously,  and  with  great  success,  to  make  the  Prussian 
military  system  more  elastic,  giving  greater  freedom  to  the  officers,  and  relying  more  upon 
moral  means  than  upon  rule  and  method  in  dealing  with  the  men.  The  unexpected  sup¬ 
pleness  and  dash  which  the  Prussians  displayed  in  1866  is  in  a  great  measure  the  conse¬ 
quence  of  these  reforms.  He  is  the  leading  military  man  of  Prussia. 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  VON  STEINMETZ 

(The  Right), 

general  of  infantry  and  commander  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps, 
born  December  27,  1796,  was  sent  to  the  military  school  at 
Culm  at  the  age  of  ten  years,  and  soon  showed  a  decided  pre¬ 
dilection  for  the  army. 

He  was  a  little  over  sixteen  years  old  when  he  was  ordered  to  Berlin  and  assigned  to 
the  corps  of  General  York.  Two  years  later,  he  received  his  commission  as  lieutenant, 
was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Dannigkow,  fought  with  distinction  at  Konigswartha,  where 
a  ball  took  away  one  of  his  fingers,  while  another  wounded  him  severely  in  the  thigh. 
But  such  was  the  ardor  of  his  warlike  temper,  that,  although  unable  to  walk,  he  insisted 
upon  taking  part  in  the  batde  at  Bautzen,  in  May,  1813,  on  horseback.  He  fought  in 
F ranee  in  nearly  all  the  engagements  of  1814,  and  entered  Paris  with  the  armies  of  the 
allies.  During  the  long  term  of  peace  which  followed,  he  studied  military  science  to  great 
advantage,  and  after  advancing  rapidly  to  the  rank  of  captain,  he  was  soon  after  assigned 
to  the  staff.  During  the  dispute  between  Austria  and  Prussia,  in  1850,  on  account  of  the 
Electorate  of  Hesse,  Von  Steinmetz  was  ordered  to  Cassel,  and  afterward  appointed  com¬ 
mandant  of  the  place.  Although  it  was  his  earnest  desire  to  participate  in  the  second 
campaign  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  in  1864,  he  was  ordered  elsewhere,  and  had  to  remain 
inactive  against  his  will.  During  the  campaigns  against  Austria,  Von  Steinmetz  com¬ 
manded  the  Fifth  Army  Corps. 

His  triumphant  victory  at  Skalitz,  against  a  force  twice  as 
large  as  his  own,  gave  him  the  name  of  the  “  Lion  of  Skalitz.” 
He  is  the  hardest  fighter  in  the  Prussian  army.  The  trouble  has 
always  been  to  hold  him  back.  It  is  said  that  Sigel  took  his 
lessons  in  hard  fighting  from  Steinmetz.  He  is  the  Thomas  of 
the  war. 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  (FREDERICK  WILLIAM) 

(The  Left), 

of  Prussia,  who  commanded  the  Second  Army  four  years  ago, 
was  born  in  1831. 

The  chief  of  his  staff  in  that  campaign  was  Major-General  Von  Blumenthal,  and  he  had 
under  his  orders  three  .army  corps,  under  Generals  Von  Bonin,  Von  Steinmetz,  and  Von 


LIVES  OF  PRUSSIAN  COMMANDERS. 


107 


Mutius,  besides  the  Guard  Corps  under  Prince  Augustus  of  W'urtemberg.  The  Crown 
Prince  led  his  army,  composed  of  125,000  men,  from  Silesia  through  the  passes  of  the  Su- 
detic  Hills,  an  operation  exposed  to  great  difficulties  and  to  considerable  danger.  By  a 
series  of  brilliant  operations  the  army  pushed  its  way  through  the  mountains,  fighting  se¬ 
vere  actions  at  Trautenan,  Nachod,  Skalitz,  and  Schweinschadel.  Before  he  had  practi¬ 
cally  effected  his  junction  with  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  General  Benedek  had  made  prep¬ 
arations  to  attack  the  latter  with  superior  force,  and  the  battle  of  Kdniggriitz  was  the  result. 
The  Crown  Prince  was  urgently  requested  to  hasten  his  advance,  and  appeared  on  the 
field,  unexpected  by  the  Austrians,  in  the  middle  of  the  batde,  struck  the  heart  of  the  Aus¬ 
trian  position,  and  decided  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  The  Crown  Prince  has  the  reputation 
of  being  careless  of  his  own  trouble,  anxious  for  the  welfare  of  his  troops,  visiting  billets 
and  hospitals  personally,  but  not  sparing  his  men  or  himself  in  the  hour  of  trial  and  duty. 
His  march  from  Miletin  to  Koniggriitz,  and  his  series  of  victories  on  entering  Bohemia, 
are  considered  to  have  established  his  reputation  as  an  energetic  commander. 

The  Crown  Prince  has  been  the  fighting  man  of  the  war. 
He  destroyed  Douay  at  Weisenburg,  routed  MacMahon  at 
Woerth,  pursued  him  in  a  scrub  race  to  Chalons,  and  then  to 
Sedan,  where,  with  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  he  did  all  the 
fighting,  and  brought  about  the  surrender  of  Napoleon.  In  the 
fighting  before  Paris  he  has  always  led  the  van. 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  OF  SAXONY. 

(Tke  Left  Centre.) 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  is  another  of  the  fighting  men 
of  the  army.  It  was  his  troops  who,  with  the  forces  of  the 
Crown  Prince  of  Prussia,  brought  about  the  surrender  of  Se¬ 
dan.  He  commands  the  fourth  Prussian  army,  composed  of 
the  Prussian  Guards  under  Prince  Augustus  of  Wiirtemberg ; 
the  Fourth  Corps,  composed  of  men  from  the  Saxon  provinces 
of  Prussia  and  from  the  Saxon  Duchies  of  Weimar,  Coburg, 
Gotha,  Allenburg,  and  Meiningen,  under  General  Von  Alven- 
sleben  (the  other  Alvensleben  commands  the  third  Branden- 
burgers) ;  and  the  twelve  corps  of  his  own  Saxon  troops,  who 
fought  with  his  Royal  Highness  in  1866,  at  Gitschin  and  Ko- 
niggratz,  in  Bohemia,  against  the  army  of  Prussia. 

It  again  comes  to  pass  that,  notwithstanding  the  former  alliances  and  mutual  obligations 
between  Saxony  and  France,  the  heir-apparent  to  the  Saxon  throne  leads  a  body  of  his 
father’s  soldiers  in  the  present  German  war. 

The  Royal  House  of  Saxony  is  the  younger  or  Albertinc  branch  of  the  ancient  princely 
Saxon  family.  The  elder  branch,  called  the  Ernestine,  is  subdivided  into  those  reigning 
severally  over  the  small  principalities  of  Saxe-Altenburg,  Saxe-Meiningen,  Saxe-Coburg 
with  Saxe-Gotha,  and  Saxe-Weimar  ;  one  of  which,  as  all  English  people  know,  has  given 
a  husband  to  our  Queen,  and  Kings  to  Portugal  and  Belgium.  The  story  of  the  two 


108 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


brothers,  Albert  and  Ernest,  from  whom  these  two  Saxon  lines  of  descent  are  named,  has 
been  told  by  Mr.  Carlyle  in  one  of  his  most  interesting  historical  episodes.  The  different 
political  and  religious  inclinations  of  their  offspring,  in  many  succeeding  generations,  have 
brought  them  into  very  different  relations  with  Germany  and  Europe.  The  Ernestine 
branch  has  always  been  stoutly  Protestant  and  stanchly  German  ;  while  the  Albertine 
princes,  as  Electors  and  then  Kings  of  Saxony,  have  either  intrigued  for  dominion  in  Po¬ 
land  or  subserved  the  schemes  of  France.  But  the  time  seems  now  to  have  arrived  when 
this  long  truant  member  of  the  German  nationality  becomes  heartily  and  effectively  at  one 
with  its  neighbors  in  their  common  cause  of  patriotism  and  freedom.  The  people  of  Sax¬ 
ony,  who  are  Protestants,  are  equal,  at  least,  to  the  Prussians  in  their  courage,  sobriety, 
intelligence,  and  skill  both  of  peaceful  and  warlike  arts.  They  have  their  common  schools, 
their  busy  and  thriving  factories  ;  and,  when  they  turn  out  to  fight,  there  are  no  braver 
soldiers.  The  present  King  of  Saxony,  John  I.,  though  a  Catholic,  is  not  less  popular 
with  his  Protestant  subjects  than  was  the  late  King  of  the  Belgians  with  his  subjects  of 
the  Catholic  faith.  He  is  an  amiable  and  accomplished  man,  of  literary  tastes,  author  of 
a  German  translation  of  Dante,  and  of  other  poetical  and  philological  essays.  His 
Queen,  Amelia  Augusta,  was  a  daughter  of  the  late  King  Maximilian  of  Bavaria  ;  and 
their  eldest  son,  the  Crown  Prince  Frederick  Augustus  Albert,  was  born  April  23,  1828. 
His  Royal  Highness  is  married  to  a  daughter  of  Prince  Gustavus  Vasa.  He  has  proved 
himself  a  good  soldier,  and  a  worthy  comrade  of  the  two  royal  princes  of  Prussia. 

CHARLES  EBERHARD  HERWARTH  VON  BITTEN- 

FELD, 

general  of  infantry  and  commander  of  the  Eighth  Army  Corps,  born  Sep¬ 
tember  4,  1796,  entered  the  Prussian  army  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  fought  at 
the  battle  of  Leipsic,  and  took  part  in  the  invasion  of  France  by  the  allies 
in  1814,  where  he  served  with  distinction  in  several  engagements  and  at  the 
siege  of  Paris. 

During  the  second  campaign  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  in  1864,  he  achieved  one  of  the 
most  brilliant  victories  over  the  Danish  army,  and  virtually  brought  the  war  to  a  close  by 
taking  possession  of  one  of  the  most  important  positions  of  the  enemy,  the  island  of  Al- 
sen,  and  by  almost  annihilating  the  troops  who  were  ordered  to  defend  the  place.  The 
war  of  1866  again  called  him  into  active  service.  He  was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the 
Elbe  army,  and  gave  many  proofs  of  his  superior  talent  as  a  military  leader  and  organizer. 
His  participation  in  the  battle  of  Sadowa  was  a  glorious  one,  and  his  behavior  on  this  and 
several  preceding  occasions  was  such,  that  he  is  now  considered  one  of  the  bravest,  most 
skilful  and  talented  commanding  officers  in  the  Prussian  army. 

On  account  of  his  extreme  age  he  has  lately  been  displaced  as  corps  commander.  Gen¬ 
eral  Goeben  succeeding  him  to  the  command  of  the  Eighth  Corps.  Steinmetz  is  of  the 
same  age  as  Bittenfeld  —  seventy-four,  as  is  also  Moltke.  The  Crown  Prince  and  Prince 
Charles  are  younger  men,  the  former  being  thirty-nine  and  the  latter  forty-two. 

THE  OTHER  COMMANDERS 

are  Manteuffel,  of  the  First  Corps  ;  Fansecki,  of  the  Second  ;  Alvensleben  (2d),  of  the 
Third;  Alvensleben  (1st),  of  the  Fourth;  Kirchbach,  of  the  Fifth;  Tumpling,  of  the 
Sixth  ;  Zastrow,  of  the  Seventh  ;  Goeben,  of  the  Eighth  ;  Manstein,  of  the  Ninth  ;  Voigts 
Rhetz,  of  the  Tenth  ;  Bose,  of  the  Eleventh  ;  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  of  the  Twelfth  ; 
Werder,  of  the  Thirteenth;  Canstein,  of  the  Fourteenth;  Loewenfeld,  of  the  Fifteenth; 
Mecklenburg,  of  the  Sixteenth ;  and  Prince  Augustus  of  Wiirtemberg,  of  the  Guards. 


DIARY  CONTINUED. 


109 


Tuesday,  August  2. — The  heights  of  Saarbriick  stormed 
by  the  French.  Napoleon  telegraphs  the  Empress,  announc¬ 
ing  that  the  Prince  Imperial  had  received  his  “baptism  of  fire.” 
Agitation  in  England  on  the  subject  of  Belgian  neutrality  and 
independence.  Italy  arming  and  preparing  for  war.  The 
evacuation  of  Rome  progressing.  The  King  of  Prussia  arrives 
at  Mayence. 


STATUS  AND  NUMBERS  OF  TROOPS. 

First  Corps,  McMahon,  45,000  men,  at  Strasburg. 

Second  Corps,  Frossard,  32,000  men,  at  Forbach  and  St.  Avoid. 

Third  Corps,  Bazaine,  32,000  men,  at  Metz. 

Fourth  Corps,  L’Admirault,  32,000  men,  at  Thionville. 

Fifth  Corps,  De  Failly,  32,000  men,  at  Bitche  and  Saargue- 
mines. 

Sixth  Corps,  Canrobert,  70,000  men,  at  Chalons. 

Seventh  Corps,  Douay,  32,000  men,  at  Besan£on  and  Belfort. 

Eighth  Corps  (Guards),  Bourbaki,  32,000  men,  at  Metz. 

Cavalry,  34,000.  Total,  303,000.  With  artillery  and  reserve 
cavalry,  about  350,000  men. 

The  left  wing  has  before  it  the  Moselle  and  the  French  Nied, 
the  centre  has  before  it  the  Saar,  and  the  right  wing  has  before 
it  the  Lauter. 

The  German  armies,  having  been  assembled  at  camps  on  the 
Rhine,  begin  to  move  fonvard.  The  entire  German  force  con¬ 
sists  of  eighteen  corps  d’armee,  containing  40,000  men  each,  at 
their  normal  strength.  The  First  army,  under  Steinmetz,  has 
the  First,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Corps ;  the  Second  army,  under 
Prince  Frederick  Charles,  has  the  Second,  Third,  Ninth,  and 
Tenth  corps;  the  Third  army,  under  the  Prussian  Crown  Prince, 
has  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  and  Eleventh  Corps,  and  the  two  Bavarian 
Corps.  The  Fourth  army,  under  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony, 
containing  the  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps,  and  the  Saxon  and 
Prussian  Guards,  occupies  in  the  regular  advance  the  right  of 
the  Crown  Prince ;  the  Fifth  army,  under  General  Werder,  has 
the  Wiirtemberg  and  Baden  divisions,  engaged  in  the  siege  of 
Strasburg  ;  the  reserves  are  composed  of  the  Sixth  army,  under 
the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  on  the  Rhine,  and 
the  Seventh  army,  under  Generals  Von  Canstein  at  Berlin,  and 


110 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Loewenfeld  in  Silesia.  The  defence  of  the  northern  coast  is 
committed  to  these  reserves.  The  advance  to  the  French  lines 
is  made  by  the  First  army,  against  the  French  left  wing  ;  Second 
army,  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  against  the  centre ;  and  the 
Third  army,  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia,  against  the  French  right 
wing. 

The  French  forces  being  scattered  over  a  line  of  eighty-five 
to  ninety  miles  in  length,  MacMahon,  after  a  council  at  Metz, 
receives  orders  to  make  a  flank  march  toward  De  Failly,  at 
Bitche.  He  posts  the  corps  of  General  Douay  at  Weisenburg 
to  cover  the  movement.  General  Frossard,  with  the  Second 
Corps,  advances  on  Saarbriick,  and  after  seven  hours’  fighting 
drives  out  the  three  battalions  of  infantry,  three  squadrons  of 
cavalry,  and  three  guns,  which  formed  the  German  force  there. 
The  Emperor  was  present  with  the  Prince  Imperial. 


SAARBRUCK  (. August  2). 
napoleon’s  despatch. 

Metz,  August  2. 

To  the  Empress  Eugenie  : 

“  Louis  has  received  his  baptism  of  fire.  He  was  admirably  cool,  and 
little  impressed.  A  division  of  Frossard’s  command  carried  the  heights 
overlooking  the  Saar.  The  Prussians  made  a  brief  resistance.  Louis  and 
I  were  in  front,  where  the  bullets  fell  about  us.  Louis  keeps  a  ball  he 
picked  up.  The  soldiers  wept  at  his  tranquillity.  We  lost  an  officer  and 
ten  men.  “Napoleon.” 

(Translated from  the  French.) 

THE  BATTLE,  AUGUST  2. 

Spicheren,  August  2,  8  a.m. — The  troops  are  moving  to 
the  front.  Marshal  Leboeuf  has  just  passed  towards  General 
Frossard’s  headquarters  on  the  heights  of  Spicheren.  A  por¬ 
tion  of  Bazaine’s  army  in  reserve  supports  Frossard. 

Ten  A.M. —  The  videttes  of  Cartoul’s  brigade  have  gone  to 
the  front.  Artillery  and  infantry  are  descending  the  hill,  march¬ 
ing  across  the  plain,  and  ascending  another  hill  in  front  of 
Saarbriick.  In  the  middle  of  the  plain  the  infantry  deploys 
skirmishers  and  masses  battalions.  In  their  rear  additional  ar- 


TUESDAY,  AUGUST  2. 


Ill 


tillery  is  placed  in  position  on  the  heights.  The  skirmish  line 
advances  across  the  valley,  followed  by  the  battalions,  and 
keeping  some  distance. 

Half -past  ten  A.M.  — The  heights  on  the  other  side  of  the 
valley  above  St.  Arnual  and  opposite  Saarbruck  are  not  so 
easily  reached.  The  infantry  halt,  and  the  guns  open  fire  on 
the  Prussians  in  the  village  of  St.  Arnual.  Now  Colonel  The- 
baudin  carries  the  village  with  the  Sixty-seventh,  and  the  troops 
rush  up  the  hill  opposite  Saarbriick.  The  Sixty-sixth  drives  the 
Prussians  from  the  exercising  grounds.  Batteries  are  now 
planted  so  as  to  sweep  the  Prussians  about  and  in  the  town  of 
Saarbriick,  who  return  our  fire,  falling  back  across  the  bridge 
to  the  height  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Saar. 

Twelve  M.  —  The  Emperor  arrives.  The  Prussians  are  on 
the  retreat.  We  fire  after  them.  The  tnitrailleuse  is  used  for 
the  first  time.  The  Prussians  are  not  to  be  seen.  The  battle 
ends. 

Two  P.M.  — We  occupy  the  ground  held  by  the  Prussians. 
The  bridge  over  the  Saar  has  been  blown  up. 

Evening.— The  French  loss  is  twenty  killed  and  fifty  wounded. 
We  captured  a  few  prisoners,  but  no  cannon.  The  Prince  Im¬ 
perial  has  gone  back  to  Forbach  with  the  Emperor. 

PRUSSIAN  ACCOUNT  (. August  2). 

(Translated  from  the  German.) 

Saarbruck,  10  a.m.  —  Our  videttes  have  been  driven  in 
from  St.  Arnual.  Two  large  bodies  of  French  troops  are  ad¬ 
vancing  toward  the  parade  ground  ;  and  it  seems  as  if  the  one 
battalion  of  German  troops  will  retreat  from  the  town  fighting. 

Evening.  —  Our  orders  are  not  to  challenge  battle,  but  in 
case  of  attack  to  fall  back.  At  ten  o’clock  this  morning  the 
small  detachment  at  Saarbruck  was  attacked  by  three  divisions 
of  the  French  army,  and  a  fire  from  twenty-three  guns  was 
opened  upon  the  town. 

The  Prussian  detachment  evacuated  the  heights  of  the  drill¬ 
ing  ground  at  noon,  and  the  town  at  two  this  afternoon.  A 


112 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


retrograde  movement  was  then  made  to  the  next  defences. 
The  losses  on  the  Prussiarf  side  are  comparatively  small.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  the  statement  of  a  prisoner,  the  Emperor  Napoleon 
arrived  on  the  ground  in  front  of  Saarbriick  at  eleven  o’clock 
this  forenoon.  Perhaps  a  dozen  of  our  men  have  been  killed 
and  wounded. 

At  one  time  there  was  a  cannonade  from  Ludwigswald,  a 
mile  and  a  half  to  the  left  of  Saarbriick,  to  the  extremity  of  the 
forest  of  St.  Arnual.  The  Prussian  forces  blew  up  the  bridge 
over  the  Saar. 

The  French  division  engaged  in  the  fighting  at  Saarbriick  was 
the  second  of  General  Frossard’s  army  corps,  and  was  com¬ 
manded  by  General  Bataille. 

We  captured  four  officers  and  seventy  privates.  They  had 
gotten  too  far  in  advance,  and  we  cut  them  off. 

Remark  by  the  Author.  — The  future  historian  may  make  more  or  he  may  make  less 
of  this  day’s  skirmish.  I  contend  that  the  first  account  of  battles  by  actual  witnesses  are  the 
truest  ever  written.  J.  T.  Headley  has  fought  on  paper  battles  which  would  astonish  the 
first  Napoleon,  though  he  was  the  central  figure  in  the  fight.  This  battle  of  the  hero  of  Stras- 
burg  and  Boulogne  some  coming  Abbott  may  transform  to  a  second  battle  of  Sarguntum. 
Who  ever  made  truer  history  than  George  Smalley  made  at  Antietam,  Dr.  Russell  at  Bull 
Run,  or  E.  C.  Steadman  at  Manassas? 

SAARBRUCK. 

Most  travellers  familiar  with  the  Rhine  country  may  remember  Saar- 
briick,  with  the  great  castle  or  chateau,  and  its  curious  Gothic  church,  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  containing  the  tombs  of  the  departed  Herzoggs  of  Nas¬ 
sau,  and  other  relics  of  bygone  days.  It  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Saar, 
which,  tumbling  down  from  its  cool  sources  in  the  heart  of  the  Vosges, 
here  becomes  navigable.  It  is  a  really  beautiful  spot.  The  gardens  and 
public  promenades  of  the  town  are  most  lovely  and  picturesque,  and  the 
town  itself  lies  embosomed  in  a  valley,  at  the  base  of  a  succession  of  hills, 
which  enclose  and  protect  it. 

FRENCH  OFFICIAL  ACCOUNT  OF  SAARBRUCK,  AUGUST  2. 

(Translation  of  General  Frossard’s  account  to  the  Emperor.) 

Sire  :  —  I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  your  Majesty  the  movements  effected  this  day  by 
the  Second  Army  Corps,  in  pursuance  of  your  orders  —  to  take  possession  of  the  positions 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Saar,  which  command  the  heights  of  Saarbr'ucken.  General  Ba- 
taillc’s  division,  supported  on  the  right  by  that  of  General  Laveaucoupet,  and  one  of  the 
twelve-pounder  batteries  of  the  reserve,  and  on  the  left  by  the  first  brigade  of  the  division 
of  General  Verge,  with  a  second  battery  of  twelve-pounders,  formed  the  first  line.  Gen* 


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TUESDAY,  AUGUST  2. 


113 


eral  Bastoul,  encamped  at  Spicheren,  and  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  directing  the  move¬ 
ment  on  our  right,  was  ordered  to  send  two  battalions  to  occupy  the  village  of  St.  Amual 
and  the  heights  above  it,  whilst  the  remainder  of  his  brigade,  crossing  the  ravine  in  front 
of  Spicheren,  was  to  make  a  front  attack  on  the  positions  to  the  right  of  the  road  from 
Forbach  to  Saarbr'ucken.  The  other  brigade  of  the  Bataille  division  was  to  move  on  to 
the  position  known  as  the  exercising  ground.  Three  squadrons  of  the  Fifth  Mounted 
Chasseurs  preceded  it  to  clear  the  way.  Finally,  Colonel  Du  Ferron,  of  the  Fourth 
Mounted  Chasseurs,  with  two  battalions  of  the  first  brigade  of  the  Verge  division,  was  to 
push  on  a  reconnoissance  to  Guerswiller,  to  connect  the  movement  of  the  Second  Corps 
with  that  of  Marshal  Bazaine.  The  troops  left  their  bivouacs  between  nine  and  ten 
o’clock.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Thebaudin,  with  two  battalions  of  his  regiment  (the  Sixty- 
seventh),  in  advancing  to  the  attack  of  the  village  of  St.  Amual,  found  it  strongly  occu¬ 
pied,  and  defended  by  batteries  of  position  planted  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Saar.  To  de¬ 
molish  this  artillery,  General  Micheler,  whose  brigade  had  come  forward  to  support  the 
movement  of  General  Bastoul,  ordered  into  action  a  battery  of  the  Fifteenth  regiment, 
which  effectually  opened  fire  on  the  Prussian  guns.  Supported  by  a  battalion  of  the  For¬ 
tieth  regiment  of  the  line,  and  by  the  company  of  sappers  and  miners  of  the  third  divi¬ 
sion,  materially  assisted  by  the  flank  movement  of  Colonel  Mangin,  who,  with  the  remain¬ 
der  of  the  Sixty-seventh  regiment,  and  the  Sixty-sixth  regiment,  descended  the  heights  on 
the  left,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Thebaudin  was  able  to  carry  the  village  of  St.  Amual,  and 
occupied  it  with  a  battalion  of  the  Fortieth  regiment,  and  the  company  of  sappers  and 
miners.  The  battalions  of  the  Sixty-seventh,  with  great  e/an,  rushed  up  the  slopes  of  the 
hillock  of  St.  Arnual,  and  established  themselves  on  the  crest,  opposite  Saarbr'ucken. 
The  Sixty-sixth,  with  equal  resolution,  took  possession  of  the  heights  up  to  the  exercising 
ground,  driving  the  enemy  from  all  his  positions.  At  the  same  time,  General  Bataille  rap¬ 
idly  moved  his  First  brigade  to  the  rising  ground,  on  the  left  of  the  Saarbrucken  road,  con¬ 
necting  his  movement  with  that  of  his  Second  brigade  by  advancing  a  battalion  of  the 
Thirty-third  regiment.  Advancing  in  line,  the  battalions  of  the  Twenty-third  and  Eighth 
regiments,  their  front  covered  by  numerous  skirmishers,  resolutely  carried  the  many  ra¬ 
vines  which  run  across  the  ground,  which  is  very  difficult  and  thickly  wooded.  One  bat¬ 
talion  of  the  Eighth  regiment,  working  its  way  across  the  woods,  followed  the  railway  as 
far  as  the  village  of  Frotrany,  where  it  effected  its  junction  with  the  other  battalions  of 
the  regiment,  and  together  they  attacked  the  exercising  ground  of  the  right.  On  gaining 
the  heights,  General  Bataille  planted  one  of  his  batteries  in  front  of  the  lines  of  the  Sixty- 
sixth  regiment,  and  another  on  the  exercising  ground,  to  fire  on  the  railway  station  and 
silence  the  enemy's  artillery,  which  had  taken  up  a  position  on  the  left  of  Saarbrucken. 
It  was  unable  to  sustain  our  fire,  and  had  to  fall  back.  The  12-pounder  battery  of  the 
reserve  was  ordered  by  me  to  support  the  fire  of  the  batteries  on  the  exercising  ground  ; 
and  finally  a  battery  of  mitrailleuses  of  the  Second  division  threw  into  utter  disorder  the 
enemy’s  columns  of  infantry,  which  were  evacuating  the  town.  During  this  artillery 
duel,  the  troops  were  able  to 


114 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


ACCLAIM  HIS  MAJESTY 

the  Emperor  and  the  Prince  Imperial,  on  the  very  ground  from  which  they  had  just  dis¬ 
lodged  the  enemy.  The  movements  of  the  infantry  were  excellently  seconded  by  the  Fifth 
regiment  of  horse  chasseurs,  under  the  orders  of  Colonel  de  Sereville.  The  squadrons, 
supported  by  infantry  in  skirmishing  order,  searched  every  nook  in  the  ground,  and  rap¬ 
idly  gained  all  the  crests  of  the  hills  whence  they  could  descry  the  enemy.  The  Twelfth 
battalion  of  foot  chasseurs,  and  the  company  of  sappers  and  miners  of  the  Second  division, 
formed  the  reserve  of  General  Bataille.  They  joined  the  troop  of  the  First  brigade  on  the 
exercising  ground.  The  First  brigade  of  the  Verge  division,  which  formed  the  second 
line,  constantly  kept  at  four  hundred  or  five  hundred  metres  of  the  first  line,  and  availed 
themselves  of  every  rise  in  the  ground  to  cover  themselves.  The  reports  I  have  received 
up  to  this  time  announce  the  following  losses  :  The  Sixty-sixth  regiment  had  one  officer 
killed,  M.  De  Bar,  lieutenant  of  the  francs-tireurs  ;  Captain  Adjutant-Major  Privat  has 
a  very  dangerous  gunshot  wound  ;  Lieutenant  Laramey  received  a  bullet  through  his 
shoulder  ;  fifteen  or  sixteen  rank  and  file  were  killed  or  wounded.  The  Sixty-seventh  had 
no  casualty  among  its  officers  ;  rank  and  file,  twenty  men  killed  or  wounded.  The  Eighth 
regiment,  two  rank  and  file  wounded.  The  Third  division  reports  a  sergeant  killed  and  a 
private  wounded.  I  have  not  received  the  report  of  Colonel  Du  Ferron.  I  am  told  that 
he  was  engaged,  and  had  about  ten  men  wounded.  Neither  have  I  received  the  report 
of  the  commander  of  the  Tenth  battalion  of  foot  chasseurs,  which  has  pushed  forward  on 
the  right,  along  the  road  from  Saarguemines  to  Saarbrucken.  The  troops  are  encamped 
on  the  ground  they  have  gained.  I  have  had  a  few  entrenchments  thrown  up  in  front  and 
flank  of  their  position.  Some  epaulements  have  also  been  established,  to  protect  our 
guns  and  gunners.  I  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  dash  and  resolution  of  the  troops. 
They  showed  great  energy  in  marching  up  steep  ground,  and  also  in  action.  The  heads 
of  the  several  corps  congratulate  themselves  on  the  steadiness  of  their  men,  their  intrepid¬ 
ity,  and  the  growing  confidence  they  show  in  their  weapons.  I  will  make  known  to  your 
Majesty  the  names  of  the  officers  and  men  of  all  ranks  who  specially  merit  being  pointed 
out.  Our  losses  amount  to  six  killed  and  sixty-seven  wounded.  Receive,  etc., 

Frossard. 

Wednesday,  August  3.  —  Skirmishing  near  Saarbriick  and 
elsewhere.  Proclamation  of  King  William  to  the  army.  The 
French  Garde  Mobile  preparing  for  the  front.  A  levy  en  masse 
ordered  by  Prussia  for  the  defence  of  the  seacoast.  Newspa¬ 
per  correspondents  expelled  from  the  French  lines.  The 
French  fortify  the  Spicheren  hills  back  of  Saarbriick.  First 
news  from  American  correspondents  at  the  seat  of  war  pub¬ 
lished  to-day  in  the  Tribune. 


WEDNESDA  V,  AUGUST  3. 


115 


PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  KING  OF  PRUSSIA. 

Mayence,  August  3.  —  The  King  of  Prussia  has  issued  the 
following  proclamation : 

“  To  the  Army  :  — All  Germany  stands  unanimously  in  arms 
against  a  neighboring  State,  who  has  surprised  us  by  declaring 
a  war  against  us  without  any  motive.  The  defence  of  the 
threatened  Fatherland,  of  our  honor,  and  our  hearths,  is  at 
stake.  To-day  I  undertake  the  command  of  the  whole  army, 
and  I  advance  cheerfully  to  a  contest,  which,  in  former  times, 
our  fathers,  similarly  situated,  fought  gloriously.  The  whole 
Fatherland,  as  well  as  myself,  trusts  confidently  in  you.  The 
Lord  God  will  be  with  our  righteous  cause.  William.” 

FRENCH  STATUS. 

Metz,  August  3. — The  day  is  tranquil.  French  officers 
begin  to  look  serious.  The  Prussian  armies  outnumber  the 
French,  and  it  begins  to  look  like  a  bloody  war  ahead.  The 
hope  of  being  able  to  detach  a  powerful  corps  across  the 
Rhine,  or  to  North  Germany,  so  as  to  effect  a  diversion  while 
the  main  army  advanced  to  Mayence,  has  well  nigh,  if  not 
altogether  vanished,  as  the  German  army  is  now  so  strong  as 
to  require  the  whole  French  army  to  meet  it.  French  armies 
hold  the  fortified  towns  of : 

Thionville,  with  a  population  of  ten  thousand,  on  our  left. 

Strasburg,  with  its  garrison  of  eight  thousand,  on  our  right. 

Bitche,  defended  by  a  strong  citadel,  is  in  front  of  Mac- 
Mahon. 

Metz  is  to  be  the  impregnable  centre  of  France. 

Thursday,  August  4.  —  German  invasion  of  France  began 
this  day.  The  forces  of  the  Crown  Prince  surprise  a  French 
division  at  Weisenburg,  and  after  a  bloody  battle,  rout  it. 
Five  hundred  prisoners  and  a  piece  of  artillery  were  captured. 
Loss  on  both  sides  heavy.  MacMahon  abandons  the  idea  of 
crossing  the  Rhine. 


116 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


FORCES. 

French  —  First  Corps  (MacMahon)  ;  Seventh  Corps  (Douay), 
75,°°o. 

German  —  Second  Bavarian,  Fifth  (Kirchbach),  Eleventh 
(Bose),  120.000. 

WEISENBURG. 

The  Third  German  army,  under  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prus¬ 
sia,  crosses  the  Lauter,  and  advances  upon  the  corps  of  Gen¬ 
eral  Douay  posted  behind  the  fortifications  of  Weisenburg. 
These  defences  extend  from  the  town  of  Lauterburg,  northwes¬ 
terly  to  Weisenburg.  After  crossing  the  Rhine  at  Maxau,  the 
Baden  and  Wiirtemberg  troops  marched  against  Lauterburg ; 
the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Prussian  Corps  marched  west  of  the 
Rhine  against  the  centre  of  the  works;  and  the  Bavarian 
Fourth  Division  against  Weisenburg.  The  first  shot  was  fired 
at  half-past  eight  in  the  morning.  The  Crown  Prince  stood  on 
the  Schweigen  hill,  north  of  the  town.  Weisenburg  was  occu¬ 
pied  by  the  Seventy-fourth  French  regiment,  and  on  the  Geis- 
burg  hill,  south  of  the  place,  were  the  First  Turco  regiment, 
Fifth  and  Fiftieth  line,  three  light  batteries  of  artillery,  and  one 
of  mitrailleuses.  These  troops  also  occupied  Altstadt,  on  the 
right  of  the  French  position.  Altstadt  was  quickly  taken  by 
the  Ninth  Prussian  division ;  Weisenburg,  after  sharp  resis¬ 
tance,  by  the  Bavarians  and  some  battalions  of  the  Forty- 
seventh  and  Forty-eighth  regiments ;  and  the  grenadiers 
marched  against  the  Schafenburg  hill  where  the  mitrailleuses 
were  stationed.  The  mitrailleuses  did  not  do  the  terrible  exe¬ 
cution  expected  of  them ;  the  German  columns  steadily  ad¬ 
vanced  without  firing  a  shot,  and  the  position  was  taken. 
There  was  no  fight  at  Lauterburg,  which  was  found  to  be  un¬ 
occupied  by  the  French,  and  after  midday  all  the  German 
troops  were  concentrated  for  the  action  at  Weisenburg.  The 
defeat  of  the  French  became  a  rout,  which  was  continued  in 
disorder  to  Woerth.  Thus,  in  this  first  combat  between  the 


AUGUST  4.  —  WEISENB UR G. 


117 


veteran  troops  of  the  French  and  the  citizen  soldiers  of  Prus¬ 
sia,  the  former  were  not  only  completely  beaten,  but  showed 
an  ominous  lack  of  steadiness  and  morale.  The  German  losses 
were  over  700  in  killed  and  wounded.  The  French  losses 
were  much  greater  in  killed  and  wounded,  and  one  gun  and 
1000  prisoners  were  also  taken  from  them. 

CROWN  PRINCE’S  DESPATCH. 

Weisenburg,  August  6,  7  P.M. — “We  have  won  a  bril¬ 
liant  but  bloody  victory.  The  left  wing  was  the  attacking  body, 
and  consisted  of  the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Prussian  Corps,  with 
the  Second  (Bavarian).  This  force  carried  by  an  assault,  under 
the  eyes  of  the  Prince  Royal,  the  fortress  of  Weisenburg  and 
the  heights  between  Weisenburg  and  Geisburg. 

“  Doua/s  division  of  Marshal  MacMahon’s  corps  was  splen¬ 
didly  defeated,  being  driven  from  its  camp.  General  Douay 
himself  was  killed.  Five  hundred  prisoners  were  taken.  None 
of  them  were  wounded.  Many  Turcos  were  among  the  cap¬ 
tured.  The  Prussian  General  Kirchbach  was  slightly  wounded. 
The  Royal  Grenadiers  and  the  Fiftieth  regiment  of  the  line  suf¬ 
fered  heavy  losses.” 

The  King  ordered  the  attack  upon  the  French  outposts  by 
telegraph. 

THE  BATTLE. 

Prussian  Account. 

This  is  the  first  German  victory.  Weisenburg,  until  the  4th  of  August, 
1870,  a  French  fortress  of  third  rank,  is  an  old  German  town,  chartered  in 
the  year  1247  as  one  of  the  ten  free  cities  in  Alsacia,  conquered  1673  by 
Louis  XIV.  ;  twice  retaken,  1744  and  1793,  by  the  Germans,  but  ulti¬ 
mately  taken  possession  of  by  France.  Much  importance  was  always  at¬ 
tached  to  Weisenburg,  as  evident  from  the  fate  of  Beauharnais,  who,  hav¬ 
ing  suffered  defeat  in  the  year  1793,  when  he  was  routed  by  the  Germans 
under  Prince  of  Waldeck  and  General  Wiirmser,  was  beheaded  by  the  guil¬ 
lotine. 

The  small  town  of  Weisenburg  lies  on  the  little  river  Lauter,  which, 
flowing  in  the  Bavarian  palatinate,  forms  the  boundary  between  Germany 
and  France,  and  empties  into  the  Rhine  at  Lauterburg.  It  lies  in  a  beau- 


118 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


tiful  valley,  at  the  foot  hills  of  the  Vosges,  five  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  and  is  distant  but  three  and  a  half  miles  (German)  from  the 
French  fortress  Haguenau,  and  seven  miles  from  Strasburg.  The  last  cen¬ 
sus  gives  the  population  of  the  industrious  little  town  at  5570,  occupied  in 
the  vine  culture,  weaving,  tanning,  printing,  brick-making,  felt,  glove, 
comb,  etc.,  manufacture.  It  contains  a  college,  two  Catholic  and  one 
Lutheran  church,  a  synagogue,  a  theatre,  etc. 

FORTIFICATIONS. 

The  present  fortifications  are  of  the  eighteenth  century.  They  were 
commenced  in  1705,  by  order  of  Marshal  Villars,  and  extend  along  the 
banks  of  the  Lauter  for  two  and  a  half  miles  (over  eleven  English  miles), 
being  an  unbroken  series  of  moats,  walls,  and  bastions,  which,  during  the 
Peninsular  war  and  the  war  of  the  French  revolution,  have  repeatedly  been 
the  scenes  of  bloody  engagements.  These  defences,  called  the  “  Weisen- 
burg  lines,”  or  ‘ ‘  les  ligncs  de  la  Lutler,"  run  zigzag,  flanked  by  formida¬ 
ble  redoubts,  and  were  considered,  prior  to  the  successful  storm  of  the  Ger¬ 
mans,  in  1793,  as  very  strong. 

THE  BATTLE. 

The  fight  commenced  on  the  4th  inst.,  at  eight  o’clock,  a.m.  It  was 
known  that  General  Douay,  with  the  van,  stood  in  Weisenburg,  while  the 
larger  part  of  his  division  occupied  a  strong  position  on  the  Geisburg,  an 
elevation  distant  about  one  and  a  half  English  mile  south  of  the  town, 
seven  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Under  cover 
of  the  fire  of  the  Prussian  and  Bavarian  artillery,  the  storming  regiments 
were  forced  to  wade  through  ditches  for  half  an  hour.  It  was  the  Second 
Bavarian  Army  Corps,  under  Lieutenant-General  Count  Bothmer,  and  the 
Eleventh  Prussian  Army  Corps,  under  the  Crown  Prince,  both  thoroughly 
combined,  and  to  the  number  of  about  eighty  thousand,  who  led  the  attack. 
The  strong  works,  which  the  enemy  bravely  defended  by  a  murderous  fire, 
were  finally  taken,  Prussians  and  Bavarians  vieing  with  each  other  in  deeds 
of  boldness,  and  not  halting  until  they  arrived  in  the  centre  of  the  town. 
Here  they  were  met  by  fresh  French  regiments,  and  it  now  became  a  close 
combat.  Previous  to  it,  the  Prussian  and  Bavarian  artillery  had  distin¬ 
guished  itself  by  excellent  firing,  throwing  thirteen-pound  grenades  and  fif¬ 
teen-pound  shells  with  the  utmost  precision. 

Considering  the  great  disadvantages  of  the  ground  which  had  to  bfLfiver- 
come  by  the  storming  troops,  their  position  when  inside  the  town  and  op¬ 
posed  to  fresh  divisions  of  the  enemy,  was  rather  critical ;  but  at  this  junc¬ 
ture  they  were  reinforced  by  the  Fifth  Army  Corps,  under  General  Von 
Kirchbach,  successor  to  the  celebrated  General  Steinmetz,  who  did  such 


AUGUST  4.  —  IVEISENB UR G. 


119 


wonders  with  the  same  troops  in  1866,  who,  instantly  surveying  and  com¬ 
prehending  the  situation,  threw  his  forces  against  the  right  flank  of  the 
French,  and  with  such  irresistible  vehemence,  that  soon  after  the  enemy 
was  driven  not  only  from  Weisenburg,  but  from  the  walls  and  fortifica¬ 
tions  in  its  rear,  and  thereby  forced  to  retire  to  the  aforementioned  Geis- 
burg.  The  storming  of  this  well-fortified  elevation  could  now  take  place 
on  three  sides.  A  murderous  fire  met  the  Germans,  whose  cavalry,  ow¬ 
ing  to  the  peculiar  formation  of  the  ground,  could  but  little  participate  in 
the  action.  The  fighting  here  was  almost  as  severe  as  at  Koniggratz,  but 
German  tenacity  triumphed.  Position  after  position  was  taken  by  bayo¬ 
net,  and  with  the  cry  of  “  Hurrah  !  ”  and  “  King  William,”  the  Germans 
fought  like  lions,  until,  at  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  whole  division 
of  the  enemy  was  routed,  and,  leaving  behind  dead  and  wounded,  camp 
materials,  horses,  etc.,  in  full  flight.  At  four  o’clock,  P.M.,  the  Germans 
were  seven  English  miles  beyond  Weisenburg,  in  the  village  of  Betsch- 
dorf. 

The  number  of  prisoners  was  eight  hundred,  and  so  excellent  was  the 
plan  of  operation,  that  they  found  themselves  surrounded  without  the  pos¬ 
sibility  of  escape.  Many  of  them  belong  to  the  Algerian  troops  of  McMa¬ 
hon’s  corps,  and  did  not  seem  sorry  at  their  mishap.  Douay,  the  general 
of  division,  was  killed.  The  Prussian  General  Von  Kirchbach  received  a 
slight  wound  in  the  face. 

A  Prussian  regiment  on  a  war  footing  has  3000  men,  with  69  officers. 
Of  these  69  officers,  the  Seventy-fourth  regiment  (Hanoverians)  lost  no 
less  than  30  in  killed  and  wounded  at  Weisenburg.  The  Seventy-seventh 
(also  Hanoverians),  on  the  same  occasion  lost  25  officers ;  the  Thirty-ninth 
(Rhinelanders),  26;  the  Eighty-second  (Hessians),  19;  the  Ninety-fifth 
(Thuringians),  16;  the  Eighty-third  (Hessians),  14;  the  Fifty-third  (West¬ 
phalians),  u  j  the  Eighty-eighth  (Nassauers),  9;  the  Eightieth  (Hessians), 
8. 


FRENCH  ACCOUNT  OF  WEISENBURG. 

(  Trans  la  ted. ) 

While  General  Douay’s  division,  composed  of  the  Seventy-fourth  and 
Fiftieth  regiments  of  the  line ;  the  Sixteenth  battalion  of  chasseurs,  on 
foot ;  one  regiment  of  mounted  chasseurs,  and  one  regiment  of  Turcos, 
were  engaged,  yesterday,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Weisenburg,  they  were 
actually  startled  by  a  tremendous  discharge  of  artillery.  As  the  patrols 
which  had  been  posted  all  along  the  frontier  had  not  signalled  the  presence 
of  any  Prussian  troops,  the  men  believed  for  a  moment  that  they  were  sur¬ 
rounded  by  the  enemy.  This  was  not  the  case,  but  Prussians  in  great 


120 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


force  and  well  supplied  with  artillery  appeared  on  the  heights  of  Schwer- 
gen,  occupying  the  whole  of  the  country  near  a  small  Bavarian  village. 

Our  soldiers  were  at  their  soup,  when  they  were  surprised  by  the  first  at¬ 
tack  of  the  Prussians.  Most  of  the  Turcos  were  at  that  moment  bathing. 
The  surprise  was  so  sudden  and  the  call  to  combat  so  pressing,  that  some 
of  them  had  scarcely  time  to  slip  on  their  pantaloons,  while  many  others, 
seizing  their  pieces,  rushed  quite  naked  into  action.  An  African  colonel, 
who  heard  the  fact  related,  said  that  he  had  often  seen  Kabyles  in  Algeria 
fight  in  a  nude  state.  Under  such  circumstances,  the  Turcos  fought  like 
lions.  They  precipitated  themselves  with  an  indescribable  fury  on  the 
Prussians,  and  took  nine  guns,  but  as  they  were  hauling  them  off,  they 
■were  crushed  by  grapeshot. 

General  Douay  ordered  his  troops  to  advance  before  the  enemy,  keep¬ 
ing  as  much  as  possible  behind  Weisenburg,  which  lay  between  them  and 
the  Prussian  forces.  But  this  precaution  proved  quite  useless,  because  the 
guns  were  pouring  a  tremendous  fire  upon  them,  and  the  troops  were  fall¬ 
ing  in  great  numbers  in  the  town  of  Weisenburg  itself.  The  French  re¬ 
tired  from  their  former  position,  and  commenced  marching  on  the  right 
side  of  the  town.  The  Prussian  guns  were  firing  at  a  tremendous  rate,  and 
their  shot  and  shells  fell  equally  in  Weisenburg  and  among  the  troops. 
Several  houses  were  on  fire,  and  a  large  number  of  soldiers  lay  dead  or 
wounded. 

General  Vohcan’s  division  was  beginning  to  retire  at  about  eleven 
o’clock,  when  a  new  attack  was  ordered.  The  Turcos  led  the  way,  and, 
bayonet  in  hand,  threw  themselves  on  one  of  the  Prussian  batteries.  All 
proved  to  be  useless,  Had  the  French  insisted  on  attacking  the  enemy 
any  longer,  there  would  not  have  been  a  Frenchman  left  on  the  ground 
alive.  As  soon  as  what  was  left  of  General  Douay’s  forces  began  retiring, 
the  Prussian  artillery  began  playing  upon  them.  It  was  about  twelve 
o’clock  when  General  Douay  himself  fell,  a  victim  to  Prussian  artillery. 
The  troops  began  to  run  without  order,  crossing  roads  and  vineyards  until 
they  again  reached  the  farthest  part  of  Weisenburg. 

The  number  of  dead  and  wounded  must  be  very  large  indeed.  The 
remaining  troops  are  eager  to  avenge  the  death  of  their  General. 

Both  killed  and  wounded  were  literally  hacked  to  pieces  by  the  Prus¬ 
sians.  It  was  owing  to  those  horrible  engines  of  destruction,  and  after 
these  savage  brutalities,  that  the  enemy  remained  in  possession  of  the  guns, 
which  the  intrepidity  of  our  too  ardent  companions  in  arms  had  captured 
in  their  ranks.  Some  companies  of  Turcos,  and  notably  that  in  which  M. 
Albert  Duruy,  a  volunteer,  had  taken  service,  had,  after  this  heroic  com¬ 
bat,  only  five  men  left.  M.  Duruy,  son  of  the  late  Minister,  was  one  of 
those  miraculously  preserved. 


FRIDAY,  AUGUST  5. 


121 


Friday,  August  5.  —  Great  excitement  in  Paris,  caused  by 
the  defeat  of  the  French.  Skirmishes  at  various  points.  Mac- 
Mahon  moves  his  corps  from  Haguenau  to  Froschweiler. 

The  French  defeat  at  Weisenburg  calamitous.  Crown 
Prince  Frederick  William  pursues  MacMahon  towards  Hague¬ 
nau.  The  French  cease  to  give  news  of  battles.  The  Crown 
Prince  and  Von  Steinmetz  proclaim  the  forward  march  !  Prince 
Charles  issues  a  proclamation  on  invading  French  soil.  Three 
Prussian  armies  (480,000  men  and  1270  guns)  marching  into 
France. 

PARIS. 

Paris,  August  5.  — The  following  proclamation  forebodes 
bad  news  for  France  : 

The  Council  of  Ministers  to  the  population  of  Paris  :  Inhabitants  of 
Paris,  in  the  name  of  the  country,  in  the  name  of  our  heroic  army,  we 
beg  you  to  be  calm,  patient,  and  to  keep  order.  Disorder  in  Paris  would 
be  a  victory  for  the  Prussians.  As  soon  as  any  certain  news  arrives,  whether 
good  or  bad,  you  will  know  it.  Let  us  be  united,  and  have  but  one  thought, 
one  wish,  one  sentiment  —  the  success  of  our  arms. 

August  6,  1870,  six  o’clock. 

Emile  Ollivier,  Due  de  Gramont,  Chevandier  de  Valdrome,  Segris, 
General  De  Jean,  Admiral  Rigault  de  Genouilly,  Plichon,  Louvet, 
Maurice  Richard,  De  Parieu. 

JOY  IN  BERLIN. 

Dense  crowds  assembled  to-day  in  front  of  the  Royal  Palace, 
to  whom  the  King’s  despatch  announcing  the  victory  at  Weis¬ 
enburg  was  read  by  order  of  the  Queen,  causing  great  enthu¬ 
siasm.  Buildings  are  generally  covered  with  flags,  and  there  is 
to  be  an  illumination  to-night. 

Subscriptions  to  the  war  loan  already  exceed  120,000,000 
thalers. 

The  substantial  fruits  of  the  Crown  Prince’s  victory  are  said 
to  be  the  destruction  of  one  side  of  the  French  quadrilateral, 
and  the  cutting  off  of  MacMahon’ s  corps  from  its  northern 
connections. 

The  loss  of  the  Prussians  was  heavy,  but  they  took  eight 
6 


122 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


hundred  prisoners  and  the  town.  There  is  the  greatest  enthu¬ 
siasm  here,  and  a  crowd  around  the  palace  is  waiting  to  cheer 
the  King. 

THE  SITUATION. 

Saarbrucic  (Evening).  —  The  three  Prussian  armies  are 
moving. 

The  First  Army,  Von  Steinmetz,  with  the  First,  Seventh, 
and  Eighth  Corps  of  120,000  men  and  250  guns,  is  at  Saarbriick, 
in  front  of  Frossard’s  Second  Corps  (French),  reinforced  by  di¬ 
visions  from  Bazaine  and  L’Admirault,  in  all  about  60,000  men. 

This  order  from  Steinmetz  has  filled  his  soldiers  with  enthusi¬ 
asm  : 

Soldiers,  —  You  will  have  the  opportunity  of  standing  in  presence  of  the  enemy.  With 
God’s  help  you  will  maintain  your  old  fame,  and  add  new  laurels  to  those  on  your  stan¬ 
dards  of  the  year  1866,  when  I  had  the  honor  to  lead  you  ;  and  the  Fatherland  will  look 
with  pride  upon  her  sons.  Show  that  you  belong  to  an  army  worthy  of  the  civilization  of  cen¬ 
turies,  by  a  calm  and  friendly  demeanor,  temperate  bearing,  respecting  the  positions  of 
strangers,  whether  friend  or  foe.  Each  one  of  you  bears  the  honor  and  the  fame  of  the 
whole  Fatherland. 

The  Third  Army,  Crown  Prince  Frederick  William,  with  the 
Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh,  and  two  Bavarian  corps,  of  200,000  men 
and  460  guns,  advances  from  Weisenburg  along  the  Geisburg 
hills,  driving  before  him  the  defeated  soldiers  of  MacMahon 
and  Douay,  reinforced  by  De  Failly’s  Fifth  Corps  from  Bitche 
— 110,000  men. 

The  victorious  troops  of  the  Crown  Prince  are  stimulated  by 
this  address  of  Fritz  : 

Soldiers,  —  By  command  of  the  King,  you  begin  to-day  the  forward  march  against  the 
enemy.  The  sons  of  Prussia  have  always  distinguished  themselves  in  presence  of  the  en¬ 
emy.  On  this  occasion,  too,  you  will  win  laurek,  so  that  the  Fatherland  can  look  upon  you 
with  pride.  Show  by  a  calm  demeanor  toward  friend  and  foe  that  you  are  worthy  children 
of  Prussia. 

The  Second  Army,  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  with  the  Sec¬ 
ond,  Third,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  Corps,  160,000  men  and  460 
guns,  is  moving  towards  the  front  from  Homburg. 

With  the  eyes  of  his  enthusiastic  soldiers  fixed  upon  the  green 
hills  of  France,  Prince  Charles  thus  addresses  them  : 

Soldiers  of  the  Second  Army! — You  enter  upon  the  soil  of  France.  The  Emperor 
Napoleon  has,  without  any  reason,  declared  war  upon  Germany,  and  his  army  are  our 
enemies.  The  French  people  has  not  been  asked  if  it  wished  to  carry  on  a  bloody  war 
with  its  German  neighbors.  A  reason  for  enmity  is  not  to  be  found.  Meet  the  feeling  of 
the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  France  with  a  like  sentiment ;  show  them  that  in  our  century 
two  civilized  peoples  do  not  forget  their  humanity,  even  in  warring  with  each  other.  Bear 


AUGUST  6.—  SAARBRUCK. 


123 


always  in  mind  how  your  fathers  would  have  felt  if  an  enemy,  which  God  forbid,  overran 
our  provinces.  Show  the  French  that  the  German  people  confronting  its  enemy  is  not 
only  great  and  brave,  but  also  well  controlled  and  noble-minded. 

The  Prussians  have  now  ready  to  throw  into  the  fight  (ex¬ 
clusive  of  Prince  Charles)  320,000  men  and  710  guns;  and 
with  Prince  Charles,  520,000  men  and  1170  guns.  The 
French  have  ready  for  fighting,  319,000  men.  Their  entire 
force  to-day  (reserves  and  all)  is  350,000  men. 

The  odds  in  favor  of  Prussia  is  startling.  I  do  not  wonder 
that  the  French  Generals  begin  to  abandon  the  idea  of  carrying 
the  war  into  Prussia. 

Saturday,  August  6.  —  Bloody  battle  of  SaarbrUck  (Spiche- 
ren),  between  Steinmetz  and  Frossard  (Steinmetz,  120,000; 
Frossard,  60,000).  The  first  Prussian  army  was  engaged  from 
midday  until  after  dusk  ;  spirited  and  very  heavy  fighting  be¬ 
tween  SaarbrUck  and  Forbach.  Fourteenth  German  division 
opened  the  battle  ;  was  supported  by  three  battalions  and  one 
battery  of  the  Sixteenth  division ;  three  battalions,  two  bat¬ 
teries,  and  cavalry  of  the  Second  army  in  succession,  against 
the  enemy,  who  was  also  constantly  reinforced ;  the  heights  of 
Spicheren,  south  of  the  parade  ground,  were  stormed,  and  the 
enemy  thrown  back  on  Forbach  and  Metz  in  disorder.  The 
Prussians  captured  2500  prisoners,  4  guns,  a  pontoon  train, 
10,000  woollen  blankets,  40,000  cloths  of  rice,  and  $5000  worth 
of  rum  and  tobacco.-  The  Fifth  German  division  lost  239 
dead  and  1800  wounded ;  the  Twelfth  regiment  832  dead 
and  wounded. 

WOERTH. 

The  same  day  the  Crown  Prince  attacked  MacMahon  at 
Woerth,  where  he  was  strengthened  by  divisions  of  the  corps  of 
De  Failly  and  Canrobert.  The  French  suffered  a  terrible  de¬ 
feat,  and  lost  6000  prisoners,  including  100  officers ;  also  2  eagles, 
6  mitrailleuses,  35  cannon,  42  wagons  and  carriages,  200  horses, 
the  baggage  and  camp  tents  of  two  divisions,  and  two  railway 


124 


THE  FRANCO- PR  ESS /AN  IVAR. 


trains  with  provisions  ;  the  military  chest  of  the  Fourth  French 
division,  with  220,000  francs,  was  captured.  General  Frangois 
was  killed.  The  First  division  of  First  Bavarian  Corps  lost  36 
officers  and  800  men  dead  and  wounded.  The  Wiirtemberg 
corps  lost  6  officers  and  23  men  dead,  10  officers  and  225  men 
wounded,  and  118  men  missing.  The  Crown  Prince  had 
200,000  men,  MacMahon  had  80,000. 

SAARBRUCIv  (. SPICHEREN ). 

(Aug.  6.) 

At  one  p.m.  to-day,  General  Goeben  advanced  Prussian 
skirmishers  from  the  Eighth  Corps  (Rhineland),  driving  the 
French  videttes  from  the  village  of  Saarbriick.  The  entire  Eighth 
Corps  now  formed  across  the  Saar  and  through  the  town.  A 
small  French  force,  encamped  on  the  exercising  ground  (a  large 
even  space  for  holding  reviews  and  fairs),  immediately  fell  back 
toward  Frotrany  and  Spicheren.  The  French,  after  some  fight¬ 
ing,  all  fell  sullenly  back  under  cover  of  the  hills  of  Spicheren, 
a  position  of  natural  defence,  besides  defended  by  earthworks 
bristling  with  cannon  and  one  battery  of  mitrailleuses,  Gen. 
Zastrow,  of  the  Seventh  Corps,  was  ordered  to  move  through  a 
series  of  ravines  and  make  a  flank  assault  from  the  woods  on 
the  French  left,  while  Goeben  fought  his  way  over  the  plains 
directly  in  front  of  the  French  centre  (Spicheren  hill). 

At  two  p.m.  the  Prussian  artillery  commenced  a  fearful  can¬ 
nonade,  which  was  replied  to  with  equal  vigor  by  the  French. 

Position  after  position  was  carried  along  the  plain,  until  the 
French  even  abandoned  the  village  of  Spicheren.  The  last 
Frenchman  had  fled  up  the  hill  in  front  of  Goeben’ s  victorious 
advance,  commanded  by  Von  Kamecke.  (Goeben,  at  this  time 
in  command,  occupied  a  sightly  position  in  the  rear,  while 
Steinmetz  had  not  yet  reached  the  army,  but  was  hurrying  up  as 
fast  as  possible.)  The  Prussian  army  had  before  it  a  bloody 
job.  40,000  Frenchmen  were  in  front.  80,000  Prussians  were 
advancing  full  of  daring  —  ready  to  storm  Gibraltar  itself.  They 
had  before  them  the  work  of  Hooker  at  Chancellorsville. 

THE  BATTLE  GROWS. 

At  three  p.m.  the  cannonade  was  a  deafening  roar  —  but  it 
was  the  roar  which  precedes  an  assault.  The  Fortieth,  Thirty-* 


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AUGUST  6.  —  SA A RBR U CIC 


125 


seventh,  Seventy-fourth  (Hanoverian),  Twelfth  and  Third  Regi¬ 
ments,  were  selected  to  do  the  fearful  work.  It  was  to  be  a 
second  Balaklava  —  “into  the  jaws  of  Death!”  The  brave 
Hanoverians,  whom  Napoleon  had  said  would  never  fight  the 
French,  were  given  the  post  of  honor,  and  were  to  lead  the  as¬ 
sault.  The  word  was  given.  Amid  the  deafening  artillery  roar, 
ten  thousand  men  throw  down  their  knapsacks,  and  rush  across 
the  intervening  plain  and  up  the  hill.  With  a  rush  the  artillery 
limbers  up,  following  the  infantry,  with  pauses  to  fire.  The 
French  fire  from  the  hill  is  fearful.  Bullets  rain  down  upon  the 
Prussians,  leaving  a  harvest  of  death  behind  them.  The  charge 
goes  on.  A  few  leading  companies  actually  reach  the  crest, 
but  only  to  die.  The  Prussians  are  repulsed,  and  back  comes 
a  scattered  caravan,  decimated,  but  not  conquered  — 

“  All  that  was  left  of  them, 

Left  of  six  hundred  !  ” 

The  French  begin  to  find  their  position  in  danger.  Frossard 
sends  word  to  Bazaine’s  advance  to  hurry  forward. 

They  are  not  fighting  in  Italy  to-day  :  they  are  fighting  the 
victorious  soldiers  of  the  “  Lion  of  Skalitz”  — fighting  men  who 
conquered  at  Kciniggratz. 

Again  Kamecke  with  his  brave  Hanoverians,  reinforced  by  a 
portion  of  Manteuffel’s  First  Corps,  prepares  for  the 

SECOND  ASSAULT. 

The  troops  are  eager,  and  re-form  as  if  by  magic. 

The  force  is  increased  to  15,000.  The  artillery  limbers  up, 
advances,  and  belches  forth  a  nearer  fire.  The  French  reply 
weakly.  They  are  saving  their  fire.  The  second  assault  com¬ 
mences.  15,000  men  file  up  the  foot  of  the  hill  at  a  double 
quick,  and  then  break  into  a  run.  The  French  fire  opens 
again.  The  French  cannon  tear  through  the  Prussian  ranks. 
The  whiz  of  the  mitrailleuse  and  clatter  of  chassepots  have  no 
terror  for  Prussia.  The  Prussian  advance  stops.  Jt  is  re¬ 
pulsed !  They  are  fighting  for  dear  life.  Night  begins  to 
come  on.  The  Hanoverians  are  in  front  of  the  French,  at 
close  quarters.  It  was  a  fearful  moment.  How  the  mitrail¬ 
leuses  mowed  a  swath  of  death  !  It  is  death  to  stay,  defeat  to 
Prussia  to  retreat.  There  are  27,000  Prussians,  and  40,000 
French. 

VICTORY. 

Suddenly  guns  are  heard  on  the  left  of  the  French. 

A  puff  of  smoke  comes  out  of  a  wood  on  the  French  left 


126 


THE  "FRANCO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


flank,  and  the  advance  guard  of  Zastrow’s  corps  are  in  the 
battle. 

The  French  see  the  new  army  advancing,  and  are  filled  with 
consternation.  Frossard  says  “  Bazaine  is  here  too,”  but  his 
patriotic  falsehood  did  not  save  his  army.  Seized  with  conster¬ 
nation,  as  dusk  comes  on  they  fall  into  a  precipitate  retreat. 

As  Kamecke’s  army  comes  sweeping  up  with  Zastrow’s  corps, 
a  shout  of  victory  rings  over  the  field,  and  Gen.  Steinmetz  rides 
up  in  breathless  haste,  to  hear  of  the  final  triumph. 

Though  it  is  dark,  Steinmetz  orders  pursuit,  and  the  victorious 
advance  captures  in  Forbach  many  baggage  wagons,  and  a 
complete  pontoon  train.  It  was  a  pontoon  train,  to  be  used  in 
crossing  the  Rhine.  What  a  fate  if  the  Prussians  should  use  it 
to  cross  the  Seine  ! 

LOSSES. 

The  loss  on  both  sides  was  very  great.  On  the  part  of  the  Prussians 
2000  of  killed  and  wounded  are  reported.  The  important  results  of  this 
victory  were  only  ascertained  during  the  next  forty-eight  hours,  when  it  was 
found  that  the  French  had  retreated  in  complete  panic,  leaving  their  killed 
and  wounded  —  much  more  numerous  than  first  anticipated  —  together  with 
ammunition  wagons,  magazines,  and  camp  materials.  Then,  too,  a  large 
number  of  prisoners  was  constantly  being  brought  in,  and  Forbach,  which 
the  enemy  had  completely  abandoned,  was  taken  by  the  Prussians.  On  this 
occasion  a  pontoon  train,  consisting  of  as  many  as  forty  wagons,  was  seized 
—  proof  evident  of  the  utter  demoralization  of  the  enemy. 

Though  the  official  list  does  not  yet  extend  to  this  sanguinary  encounter, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  private  intelligence  for¬ 
warded  ^ne,  which  gives  the  total  of  the  losses  as  2297,  of  whom  81 1  are 
dead  and  i486  wounded.  Accordingly,  every  twelfth  man  was  killed  or 
wounded.  Some  companies  left  nearly  one-half  of  their  men  on  the  spot ; 
as,  for  instance,  the  fifth  company  of  the  Forty-eighth  (Rhinelanders), 
which  went  with  250  men  into  the  fire  and  came  out  with  129,  and  the  first 
company  of  the  Eighth  (King’s  Own- — Brandenburgers),  which  on  the 
evening  of  the  battle  consigned  107  comrades  either  to  the  grave  or  to  the 
hospital. 

CAPTURES. 

The  official  list  of  Prussian  captures  at  Saarbriick  and  in  its 
immediate  vicinity  is  as  follows  :  2500  prisoners,  4  guns,  a 

pontoon  train,  a  tented  camp,  and  two  magazines  containing 
10,000  woollen  blankets,  40,000  packages  of  rice,  coffee,  and 
sugar,  large  quantities  of  wine,  rum,  and  tobacco  —  the  last 
alone  amounting  in  value  to  $50,000. 

GENERAL  GOEBEN’S  OFFICIAL  ACCOUNT. 

Several  hundred  men  of  General  Frossard’s  corps  were  made  prisoners. 
According  to  their  statements,  we  were  opposed  by  four  divisions  of  the 


AUGUST  6. —  SAARBRUCK. 


127 


French  army.  The  fighting  did  not  terminate  until  dark.  The  enemy 
covered  his  retreat  by  a  heavy  artillery  fire  from  Spicheren.  General  Stein- 
metz  arrived  towards  evening  and  assumed  the  command.  General  Fran¬ 
cois  fell,  Our  loss  is  great,  especially  in  officers.  The  enemy  left  many 
dead.  Goeben. 

GENERAL  STEINMETZ’S  REPORT  OF  SAARBRUCK. 

To-day,  from  noon  till  after  dark,  a  severe  and  well-contested  battle  has 
been  fought  between  Saarbriick  and  Forbach.  The  Fourteenth  division 
commenced  the  engagement,  and  was  successively  supported  against  the 
enemy,  who  had  fortified  themselves,  by  three  battalions  and  the  battery  of 
the  Sixteenth  division,  three  battalions,  two  batteries,  and  cavalry.  The 
heights  of  Spicheren,  to  the  south  of  the  exercise  ground,  were  taken  by 
storm,  and  the  enemy  driven  back  upon  Forbach.  While  this  was  going 
on,  the  Thirteenth  division  advanced  opposite  Volklingen,  took  Rossein, 
and  by  nightfall  established  the  head  of  the  column  at  Forbach.  General 
Francois  was  killed.  Very  many  wounded  men,  and  a  large  number  of 
prisoners  from  the  different  regiments  of  Frossard’s  corps.  The  number 
has  not  yet  been  ascertained. 

I  have  assumed  the  command.  V.  Steinmetz. 

WOERTH  (Froschweiler). 

KING  WILLIAM’S  DESPATCH. 

To  the  Queen  : 

What  fortune,  this  new  great  victory  of  Fritz’s  1  To  God  alone  be  praise 
for  His  goodness.  Won  some  30  cannon,  2  eagles,  6  mitrailleuses,  4000 
prisoners.  MacMahon  was  strengthened  from  the  main  army.  Our  guns 
shall  salute  Victoria.  Wilhelm. 

(  Victoria  is  the  name  of  the  Crown  Princess  of  Prussia,  wife  of “  Fritz  ” .) 

The  Crown  Prince’s  despatch  is : 

Victorious  battle  at  Woerth;  MacMahon,  with  the  largest  part  of  his 
army,  entirely  beaten  ;  French  thrown  back  upon  Bitche.  Upon  the  battle¬ 
field  near  Woerth,  four  and  one-half  o’clock,  afternoon. 

Frederick  William,  Crown  Prince. 

napoleon’s  despatch. 

Metz,  August  7.  —  Marshal  MacMahon  has  lost  a  battle.  General 


128 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Frossard  on  the  Saar  has  been  compelled  to  fall  back.  The  retreat  is  be¬ 
ing  effected  in  good  order.  All  may  be  regained  (tout  peut  se  retablir). 

Napoleon. 

THE  BATTLE. 

It  has  been  a  day  of  battles  —  battles  from  Haguenau  to  Saar- 
briick.  While  Steinmetz  was  advancing  his  victorious  columns 
against  Frossard,  the  Crown  Prince  was  engaged  in  a  death 
struggle  with  MacMahon.  The  result  has  been  victory  to 
Prussia. 

After  Weisenburg  the  victorious  Crown  Prince,  with  the 
Third  army  (Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh,  and  two  Bavarian  Corps), 
pushed  down  upon  the  French,  who  were  retreating  along  the 
Geisburg  hills  and  the  valley  from  Weisenburg  to  Woerth. 
Woerth  is  in  the  line  of  retreat  from  Weisenburg  to  Saverne 
and  Nancy.  All  day  long  on  Friday,  the  Crown  Prince  had 
been  marching  and  skirmishing  along  the  valley.  MacMahon 
was  falling  back  for  a  strong  position.  Saturday  morning  found 
him  on  the  heights  south  of  Woerth  (German,  “Word”),  with 
Froschweiler  and  the  road  to  Niederbronn  on  his  left.  To 
the  right  (south-east)  of  Woerth  is  the  forest  of  Haguenau.  As 
the  battle  advanced,  MacMahon  swayed  to  the  left  —  the 
heights  of  Froschweiler  —  keeping  in  view  the  retreating  road 
to  Niederbronn. 

The  French  force  consisted  of  MacMahon’s  corps,  a  divi¬ 
sion  from  Canrobert’s  Sixth  Corps,  and  all  that  was  left  of 
Douay’s  Seventh  Corps  (General  Douay  having  been  killed  at 
Weisenburg  on  the  4th).  De  Failly  (Fifth  Corps),  compelled 
to  fall  back  from  Bitche,  through  repeated  delays,  did  not 
arrive  in  time  to  be  of  service  to  MacMahon.  So  Mac¬ 
Mahon’s  force  was  in  all  about  80,000  effective  men.  The 
Crown  Prince  had  nearly  200,000  men  (five  corps  of  40,000 
each).  Forced  to  fight  the  impetuous  Crown  Prince,  MacMa¬ 
hon  gathered  his  forces  in  the  positions  given  in  the  map. 

(MacMahon  was  in  about  the  position  of  General  Pope  at  Centreville  at  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run.  There  was  no  concentration.  Canrobert  was  like  McClellan  in  Alex¬ 
andria,  while  De  Failly  was  as  slow  to  join  the  unfortunate  MacMahon  as  was  Fitz  John 


AUGUST  6.  —  WOERTH. 


129 


Porter  to  join  General  Pope.  How  many  battles  are  lost  from  a  lack  of  prompt  concentra¬ 
tion  and  a  unity  of  action  !) 

At  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  MacMahon’s  left  was 
in  front  of  Froschweiler  toward  Niederbronn,  his  centre  nearly 
in  front  of  Woerth,  and  his  right  rested  against  the  forest  of 
Haguenau  in  front  of  Marsbrunen.  The  Crown  Prince  formed 
with  his  army  a  line  from  Gunstadt  (the  Prussian  left)  to  Guef- 
dorff  (the  Prussian  right),  in  front  of  Froschweiler. 

The  following  is  the  report  of  three  eye-witnesses  who  sur¬ 
veyed  the  battle  from  the  church  tower  in  Woerth,  reporting 
the  affair  with  almost  singular  unanimity  to  the  London  News 
and  Times ,  and  New  York  Times: 

Three  A.M.  —  We  were  awoke  at  half-past  three  A.M.  by  a  sharp  at¬ 
tack  of  the  Prussians  on  the  French  outposts  ;  but  they  retired  about  an 
hour  later. 

From  conversations  I  had  before  the  battle  with  Marshal  MacMahon’s 
staff,  I  know  for  certain  that  it  was  generally  believed  the  Prussians  had 
about  50,000  men  present,  instead  of  which  the  whole  of  the  Fifth  and 
Eleventh  corps  d’armee,  numbering  at  the  very  least  150,000,  under  the 
Prince  Royal,  were  there  ;  and  to  these  Marshal  MacMahon  could  only  op¬ 
pose  his  own  corps  d’armee,  which  was  minus  the  division  of  General 
Douay. 

The  Prussians  are  in  great  force,  about  150,000  strong,  and  MacMahon 
has  altogether  some  90,000  under  him.  The  troops  are  in  excellent  spirits. 

PRUSSIAN  SIGNAL  OF  BATTLE. 

The  Prussians  have  just  fired  three  bombs  into  the  village,  and  the  panic  is  terrible  to 
see.  The  village  church,  about  twenty  yards  from  this,  is  on  fire.  I  believe,  after  all,  the 
Prussians  will  attack  MacMahon. 

The  Prussians  are  now  (seven  a.m.)  entering  the  village  in  which  we  are.  A  couple  of 
their  men  are  at  the  door  of  the  inn. 

Some  wounded  Prussians  have  (half-past  eight  a.m.)  just  been  brought  in  and  taken  to 
the  hospital,  where  that  blessed  flag —  the  red  cross  on  a  white  ground  —  hangs  out  as  a 
sign  that  there,  at  any  rate,  Christian  charity  is  supreme,  and  that  no  one  should  injure  the 
building.  Four  Sisters  of  Charity  are  already  busy  at  work  tending  the  wounded  with 
that  wonderful  care  and  charity  for  which  their  order  is  so  famous. 

MACMAHON’S  STRATEGY. 

MacMahon  has  (nine  a.m.)  got  his  wish.  The  whole  of  the  Prussian  corps  d’armde 
seems  to  be  upon  him.  He  still  holds  off,  as  if  to  draw  them  on  more  and  more.  Bombs 
and  shells  are  exploding  every  minute,  the  Prussians  evidently  trying  to  drive  the  French 
army  from  the  position  they  have  taken  up.  The  French  game  is  to  fire  now  and  again, 
and  to  seem  as  if  their  strength  did  not  admit  of  their  doing  more  than  defend  their  posi¬ 
tion. 


6* 


130 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


The  cannonade  upon  MacMahon’s  position  is  (quarter  past  nine  a.m.)  getting  hotter  and 
hotter.  The  smell  of  gunpowder  is  fearful  ;  the  dull  air  seems  impregnated  with  it. 

As  yet  the  battle  is  confined  to  a  huge  duel  of  big  field  guns.  MacMahon  is  answering 
with  batteries  the  Prussian  guns,  and  will  soon,  no  doubt,  make  a  dash  with  his  infantry. 
But  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  silence  the  immense  amount  of  artillery  which  the  Prussians  evi¬ 
dently  have  with  them.  But  every  hour  that  MacMahon  can  delay  the  main  attack  im¬ 
proves  his  chances,  for  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  movement  of  drawing  on  the  Prussian 
army  and  then  cutting  off  its  retreat  except  upon  the  Rhine,  is  what  the  Marshal  intends 
to  do  —  if  he  can.  But  he  has  evidently  a  very  tough  and  a  very  strong  enemy  to  deal  with. 

A  great  part  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia’s  corps,  commanded  by  the  son-in-law  of 
Queen  Victoria,  is  with  them,  having  arrived  last  night ;  an  immense  body  of  French 
Zouaves  and  Turcos  descend  the  hill,  the  gallant  MacMahon  himself  leading  them,  and 
divide  like  a  mighty  stream  and  take  up  fresh  positions. 

THE  COMBAT  RAGES  — FEARFUL  WEAPONS  OF  DEATH. 

The  battle  is  raging,  but  is  farther  off,  near  to  where  the  Prussians  had  their  position 
this  morning,  at  a  village  called  Lieb-Frauenberg,  and  as  I  write,  the  repeated  discharge  of 
the  mitrailleuse  tells  a  tale  that  the  French  are  getting  at  their  enemy.  It  is  curious  enough 
that  close  by  here,  at  a  place  called  Freswillain,  General  Iioche  (who  tried  to  invade  Ire¬ 
land  with  a  French  force  in  1795)  fought  a  splendid  battle  against  the  Prussians  in  1791, 
with  one  of  those  famous  armies  of  the  French  republic. 

Another  look  from  the  church  steeple  at  half-past  ten  a.m.  The  battle  is  still  raging,  but 
the  cannon  on  both  sides  is  heard  now  and  again.  The  fight  is  one  of  infantry  against  in¬ 
fantry.  The  French  have  descended  upon  the  plain,  but  they  seem  to  find  it  very  hard 
work  to  dislodge  the  Prussian  infantry  from  the  position  taken  up.  MacMahon,  as  I  said 
before,  has  a  stubborn  foe  to  beat.  He  does  not  seem  to  gain  upon  them,  and  the  danger 
of  this  is,  that  the  French,  who  cannot  be  stopped  either  from  firing  or  advancing,  may  get 
to  the  end  of  their  ammunition  before  the  proper  time. 

10.40  a.m.  —The  big  guns  are  at  work,  but  chiefly  on  the  French  side.  General  Lar- 
tique,  with  the  Fourth  division  of  his  army  corps,  has  now  come  down  upon  the  Prussian 
flank,  and  is  fighting  fiercely  with  their  reserve,  that  has  just  been  brought  up  to  support 
the  centre  of  their  position.  I  cannot  exactly  make  out  why  the  French  reserve  artillery 
on  the  heights  has  begun  to  fire,  for  to  do  so  they  must  fire  over  the  heads  of  their  own 
people.  The  hospital  already  full  of  wounded  and  dying  men.  What  devil’s  work  there 
is,  to  be  sure  ! 

As  the  battle  seems  to  die  off  at  one  point  (eleven  a.m.)  it  rages  fiercer  and  fiercer  at 
another.  Ten  minutes  ago  there  was  no  firing  near  the  villages,  now  it  is  getting  hotter 
and  hotter  upon  every  side.  A  great  number  of  Prussians  are  being  brought  in  fearfully 
wounded,  but  I  have  not  seen  anything  of  the  French  wounded.  The  Prussians  are 
brought  in  by  their  comrades,  fine,  stout,  well-dressed  men,  with  spiked  helmet  and  blue 
tunic,  so  often  depicted. 

The  massacre  on  both  sides  has  been  fearful.  In  one  spot,  in  a  wood  about  a  mile  from 
where  I  write  these  lines,  the  Prussians  resisted  manfully  for  a  long  time,  but  had  at  last  to 
give  way  to  the  mitrailleuses.  I  can  see  with  a  glass  their  dead  bodies  lying  there  in 
masses.  They  fell  where  they  stood,  doing  their  duty  bravely.  But  to  what  end  ?  And 
what  an  end  many  of  them  have  had  ! 

During  the  last  two  hours,  it  seemed  as  if  hell  had  been  let  loose  among  us.  Right  and 
left,  front  and  rear,  the  street  firing  of  infantry  and  the  mitrailleuses  of  the  French  artillery 
continued  to  vomit  destruction  and  death.  The  cries  of  the  wounded  were  fearful,  but  no 
one  dared  go  to  help  them,  for  even  to  show  your  face  at  the  window  was  to  receive  a  well- 
aimed  bullet  from  a  needle-gun. 

At  three  p.m.  the  whole  nature  of  the  battle  seemed  to  change.  The  Prussians  became 


AUGUST  6.  —  WOERTH. 


131 


the  attacking  party,  and,  much  to  the  surprise  of  every  one,  the  French  gave  way  and  re¬ 
tired  to  the  rising  ground  behind  Woerth.  For  three  long  hours  the  village  was  the  scene 
of  the  hardest  struggle  of  the  day.  ’  A  Prussian  division  occupied  it,  and  the  French  tried 
hard  to  dislodge  them,  but  without  effect,  by  firing  from  above  with  shells,  and  by  re¬ 
peated  advances  of  the  French  outposts.  The  Prussian  left  has  driven  back  the  French 
right,  and  the  bloodiest  fighting  of  the  day  is  being  done  at  Froschweiler. 

STILL  MORE  FIERCE. 

Presently  the  battle  began  to  rage  hotter  and  hotter  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town.  I 
felt  certain  that  MacMahon  had  drawn  on  the  enemy  in  order  to  give  them  battle  in  the 
position  he  had  himself  chosen.  For  a  time  the  Prussian  infantry  continued  to  pour  into 
the  town  by  the  little  bridge  just  before  the  inn.  By  companies,  by  battalions,  by  regi¬ 
ments,  by  brigades,  and  by  divisions  they  passed,  all  in  excellent  order,  all  looking  wonder¬ 
fully  clean  after  having  passed  the  night  under  heavy  rains  in  the  open  fields.  I  never  saw 
finer,  stouter,  better  dressed  or  better  drilled  men. 

At  four  p.m., 

VICTORY  CAME  TO  PRUSSIA. 

The  French  silenced  their  fire,  and  fell  into  a  precipitate  retreat.  Presently  firing 
could  hardly  be  heard  at  all,  and  then,  as  I  saw  the  Prussian  cavalry  and  light  artil¬ 
lery  push  through  the  town  and  make  for  the  Frenchjposition,  I  instinctively  felt  that  Mac¬ 
Mahon  had  fallen  back,  and  the  star  of  France  was  on  the  wane. 

And  I  was  right.  The  Prussians  commenced  to  enter  the  town,  not  to  pass  through  it, 
but  to  remain  and  establish  their  hospitals.  It  has  been  my  fate  to  see  not  a  little  service 
in  the  East,  but  such  fearfully  ghastly  wounds  as  those  I  have  seen  this  day,  it  never  entered 
into  the  mind  of  man  to  imagine.  Men  seemed  literally  to  be  mashed  into  bloody,  shapless 
masses  of  gore.  In  many  instances  the  poor  creatures  could  not  be  recognized,  all  their 
features  being  utterly  destroyed.  To  get  to  the  French  headquarters  is  utterly  impossible, 
for  MacMahon  has  fled,  no  one  knows  where.  The  local  post-office  is  taken  possession  of 
as  a  hospital,  the  postmaster  has  fled  in  terror,  and  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  a 
long  letter  which  I  wrote  on  Friday,  the  5th  —  giving  an  account  of  the  defeat  of  the  French 
the  previous  day  at  Weisenburg —  will  be,  or  rather  has  been,  lost. 

LOSSES. 

The  French  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  not  more  than  10,000  men  ;  the  Prussians  more 
than  that  number.  The  Prussians  did  not  lose  more  than  200  prisoners  :  the  French  lost 
100  officers  and  nearly  10,000  men  taken.  The  Prussians  lost  no  stores  or  guns  ;  the 
French  lost  six  mitrailleuses,  twenty-five  other  pieces  of  cannon,  400,000  francs  of  treasure, 
all  their  baggage,  tents,  etc.,  and  all  their  stores  ;  also  four  eagles,  which  in  the  French 
army  take  the  place  of  regimental  banners. 

However,  the  moral  power  and  experience  of  the  French  army  is  utterly  broken,  and  I 
doubt  much  whether  it  can  ever  be  put  on  the  same  footing  as  before.  The  very  best 
corps  d’arm6e,  under  the  most  renowned  leader  they  had,  has  been  not  only  defeated,  but 
routed. 

Marshal  MacMahon’s  position  on  the  heights  above  Woerth  was  a  good  one  —  so  good, 
that  the  Prince  Royal,  I  learned  yesterday  from  one  of  his  staff,  hesitated  to  attack  him. 
But  he  did  so,  and  this  is  what  the  French  leader  wanted.  But  when  the  attack  com¬ 
menced  the  Prussians  believed  their  enemy  to  be  much  stronger  than  he  was,  and  the 
French  were  not  aware  that  two  whole  corps  of  the  German  army,  with  nearly  the  whole 
of  a  third  corps  in  reserve,  were  before  them. 

The  French  were  outnumbered  by  three  to  one,  at  the  very  least,  and  they  had  among 
them  some  regiments  that  had  been  beaten  forty-eight  hours  before  at  Weisenburg.  The 


132 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Prussians  were  all  fresh.  MacMahon  certainly  was  attacked  in  the  position  he  had 
chosen  himself ;  but  then  he  never  knew  until  late  in  the  day  the  real  strength  of  the  force 
he  had  to  contend  with.  He  then  commenced  to  retreat,  but  had  taken  no  precaution  to 
secure  his  rear  ;  everything  in  the  shape  of  baggage,  stores,  and  tents  was  more  or  less  in 
confusion,  and  it  is  exactly  in  such  a  retreat  as  this  that  French  troops  always  fail.  In  five 
minutes  the  retreat  was  almost  a  rout,  in  half  an  hour  it  was  completely  so,  and  then  came 
the  enemy’s  cavalry,  which  completed  their  disaster  and  their  enemy’s  victory. 

THE  ROUT. 

At  seven  p.m.  the  Prussians  are  pushing  beyond  Froschweiler,  where  was  the  scene  of 
the  most  frightful  carnage  during  the  day.  The  name  of  the  battlefield  should  be  Woerth. 
MacMahon  is  flying  with  his  shattered  army  toward  the  Vosges  (centre  and  left).  His 
right  is  being  captured  by  Wurtemberg  cavalry.  The  remainder  of  his  defeated  army  is 
retreating  in  disorder,  by  way  of  Niederbronn,  on  Saverne,  to  escape  to  Metz. 

Great  heroism  was  displayed  by  the  corps  of  MacMahon  in  the  disastrous  battle  of 
Woerth.  The  French  charged  the  Prussian  line  eleven  times,  each  time  breaking  it,  but 
always  finding  a  mass  of  fresh  troops  behind.  MacMahon  had  no  idea  whatever  of  the 
numbers  that  were  before  him  on  the  morning  of  the  6th.  Of  his  four  divisions,  one  was 
the  remains  of  the  division  that  had  been  beaten  at  Weisenburg  forty-eight-hours  before. 
The  rest  of  his  men  were  in  excellent  spirits  the  night  before,  but  they  laid  all  that  night 
on  the  wet  ground,  in  a  perfect  deluge  of  rain,  and  had  nothing  to  eat  before  they  went 
into  action. 

AT  REICHSHOFFEN. 

Among  the  heroes  who  fell  at  Reichshoffen,  a  mile  from  Woerth,  where 
the  last  bloody  stand  was  made,  are  mentioned  Colonel  de  Vassart,  Count 
de  Septeuil,  the  Marquis  d’Espeuilles,  and  Count  Robert  de  Vogue, 
brother  of  Count  Melchior,  chief  of  the  ambulances  of  the  society  for  suc¬ 
coring  the  wounded. 

After  the  combat,  the  body  of  Count  Robert  was  recognized  on  the  field 
of  battle  by  some  Prussian  officers  who  had  known  him  at  Baden.  The 
Prince  Royal  being  informed  that  Count  Melchior  was  not  far  off,  sent  for 
him,  and  said,  in  a  grave,  sad  tone,  — 

“  Monsieur,  I  have  to  announce  some  painful  news  to  you.  Do  you 
comprehend  ?  ” 

“  My  poor  brother  !  ”  exclaimed  the  French  gentleman. 

“Yes,”  replied  the  Prince,  “he  has  fallen  as  a  hero  worthy  of  his  name. 
His  body  is  there,  Count.  You  shall  have  every  facility  for  removing  his 
glorious  remains.” 

The  country  people  seem  to  be  in  great  consternation.  The  roads 
which  lead  to  Haguenau  are  covered  with  peasants  carrying  their  goods 
and  cattle  with  them,  and  crying  over  the  sad  fate  of  their  humble  cot¬ 
tages. 

Item. — The  official  list  of  captures  by  the  Prussians  at  Weis¬ 
enburg  is  as  follows  :  30  officers  and  1,000  men  as  prisoners,  4 


AUGUST  6.  —  WOERTH. 


133 


mitrailleuses,  22  cannon,  5  x  army  wagons,  and  carriages  of  all 
kinds. 

FLIGHT  OF  MACMAIION’S  ARMY. 

(Translated from  the  Vienna  IVehr  Zeitung. ) 

I  could  now  (Aug.  6,  2}  p.m.)  stay  in  Haguenau  no  longer.  Despite 
the  warning  of  my  host,  I  turned  out  of  the  northern  gate  and  took  the  di¬ 
rection  of  the  Haguenau  forest  toward  Niederbronn.  The  roar  of  cannon 
was  loud.  Columns  of  smoke  rose  in  the  northwest,  and  even  in  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  Saarburg.  I  judged  the  fight  to  be  near  Niederbronn,  and  did  not 
err.  At  four  o’clock  in  galloped  a  horse  through  the  town  gate  with  empty 
saddle  slipping  under  its  belly.  Directly  after,  a  second  ;  then  a  third  ; 
then  followed  a  cuirassier  without  cuirass,  without  arms,  his  horse  covered 
with  blood  and  foam.  Next  an  artillerist,  on  an  unsaddled  horse,  his  face 
distorted  with  inexpressible  fright.  Some  minutes  later,  a  mob  of  some 
tw'enty  horsemen  hurried  past,  among  whom  two  Zouaves  clinging  upon  one 
horse  were  conspicuous ;  the  others  were  cuirassiers  in  every  stage  of  fright 
and  terror,  some  swinging  wildly  their  sabres  ;  others,  most  of  them  with¬ 
out  arms,  as  if  out  of  their  wits,  flogging  their  poor  exhausted  horses,  sev¬ 
eral  of  them  without  saddles.  One  cuirassier  halted  his  horse  just  before 
me,  loosened  his  cuirass,  threw  off  his  helmet,  next  his  heavy  sword,  lastly 
his  weighty  breastplate,  and  then,  laughing  contentedly,  rode  leisurely 
on.  A  pause  of  some  five  minutes  followed.  The  townsmen  had  all  fled 
inside  the  gates.  The  field  watch  and  I  stood  alone  at  the  point  where  the 
Niederbronn  branch  railway  intersects  the  high  road.  Presently  up  gallops 
a  field  gendar?ne,  halts  his  half-dead  horse,  and  calls  out,  “Shut  the  gates 
instantly;  the  Prussians  are  at  my  heels.”  The  field-watch  turned  white. 
I  exclaimed,  “  What  madness.  Haguenau  is  an  open  town.  There  could 
be  no  defence ;  and  if  the  Prussians  really  were  there,  the  best  thing  for  the 
town  was  to  open  the  gates  as  wide  as  possible.”  His  face  brightened  up. 
The  tumult  became  greater.  Among  a  crowd  of  cuirassiers  some  lancers 
were  mixed  up  ;  then  came  hussar  uniforms.  The  roads  are  thronged ; 
unmounted  horses  gallop  past  as  if  driven  on  by  panic ;  on  all  sides  are 
swarms  ;  artillery  men  in  shirt  sleeves  ;  many  of  the  horses,  with  the  traces 
cut,  ridden  by  infantry-men  or  artillery.  So  far  I  have  not  remarked  one 
officer.  As  the  mob  was  thickest,  a  railway  train  came  screaming  along 
from  the  north.  At  the  moment  a  number  of  peasant  girls,  with  their  con¬ 
veyances  entangled  in  the  throng,  were  close  upon  the  rails.  They  cannot 
move  forward  or  backward  ;  they  seem  lost.  The  field-watch  and  myself, 
seizing  the  barrier-tree,  forced  back  the  distracted  wenches,  shut  the  barrier, 
helped  them  over,  and  the  train  rushed  past  without  mishap.  The  train 
ought  to  have  saved  the  materiel  accumulated  at  Niederbronn  ;  it  ought  to 
have  transported  the  wounded  ;  it  was  entirely  devoted  to  flight.  They 
were  the  first  infantry  soldiers  who  saved  themselves.  All  the  wagons  over¬ 
filled— -on  the  roofs,  hanging  on  by  the  handles,  with  half  their  bodies  in  the 
air,  on  the  gangway  boards,  some  fully  accoutred,  some  half  naked,  no 
wounded  !  So  flashed  past  us  this  novel  picture  of  distraction,  crossing  the 
current  of  misfortune  in  the  high  road.  We  let  the  barrier  balk  drop,  and 
sprang  aside.  Like  a  wild  hunt ,  the  horsemen  galloped  into  the  town, 
and  clattered  through  it  without  drawing  bridle.  By  five  o’clock  the  tor¬ 
rent  gradually  ceased.  After  a  pause  came  the  conveyances.  I  saw  four 
or  five  carriages,  all  completely  harnessed,  yet  without  their  guns.  Then 


134 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


jolted  and  rattled  past  a  broken  ammunition  wagon  craijimed  with  Turcos  ; 
next  a  peasant’s  wagon  filled  with  bedding  and  household  gear,  but  no  own¬ 
er  ;  a  Zouave  led  the  horses,  two  frightfully  wounded  Turcos  lay  on  the 
top. 

MACMAIION’S  REPORT. 

Saverne,  August  7. 

Sire  :  I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  your  Majesty  that  on  the  seventh 
of  August,  after  having  been  obliged  to  evacuate  the  town  of  Weisenburg, 
the  First  Corps,  with  the  object  of  covering  the  railway  from  Strasburg  to 
Bitche,  and  the  chief  channels  of  communication  between  the  eastern  and 
western  sides  of  the  Vosges,  occupied  the  following  positions  :  The  First 
Division  was  placed  with  the  right  in  front  of  Froschweiler,  the  left  in  the 
direction  of  Reichshoffen,  resting  on  a  mound  which  covers  that  village.  It 
detached  two  companies  to  Neunwiller,  and  one  to  Jaegersthal.  The  Third 
Division  occupied,  with  its  First  Brigade,  a  contrefort  detached  from 
Froschweiler,  and  terminating  in  a  point  toward  Guefdorff.  The  Second 
Brigade  rested  its  left  on  Froschweiler,  and  its  right  on  the  village  of  Elsas- 
hausen.  The  Fourth  Division  formed  a  broken  line  on  the  right  of  the 
Third  Division,  its  First  Brigade  facing  Gunstadt,  and  its  second  vis-d-vis 
with  the  village  of  Marsbronn,  which  it  was  unable  to  occupy  from  want  of 
sufficient  force.  The  Dumesnil  Division  of  the  Seventh  Corps,  which 
joined  me  early  on  the  morning  of  the  sixth,  was  placed  in  rear  of  the 
Fourth  Division.  In  reserve  was  the  Second  Division,  placed  behind  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  Third  Division,  and  the  First  Brigade  of  the 
Fourth.  Finally,  further  in  the  rear,  was  the  brigade  of  light  cavalry  un¬ 
der  the  orders  of  General  de  Septeuil,  and  the  division  of  cuirassiers  of 
General  de  Bonnemains  ;  the  brigade  of  Michel  cavalry,  under  the  orders 
of  General  Duchesne,  was  placed  behind  the  right  wing  of  the  Fourth  Di¬ 
vision.  At  seven  o’clock  in  the  morning  the  enemy  made  his  appearance 
in  advance  of  the  heights  of  Guersdorff,  and  commenced  the  action  by  a 
cannonade,  soon  followed  by  a  lively  fire  of  tirailleurs  against  the  First  and 
Third  Divisions.  This  attack  was  serious  enough  to  oblige  the  First  Di¬ 
vision  to  make  a  change  of  front  in  advance  on  its  right  wing,  so  as  to  pre¬ 
vent  the  enemy  from  turning  the  general  position.  A  little  later  the  enemy 
augmented  considerably  the  number  of  his  batteries,  and  opened  a  fire  on 
the  centre  of  the  position  which  we  occupied  on  the  right  of  the  Sauer- 
bach,  much  more  serious  and  more  threatening  than  the  first,  which  con¬ 
tinued.  This  second  demonstration  was,  after  all,  only  a  false  attack, 
which  was  vigorously  repulsed.  Toward  noon  the  enemy  commenced  his 
attack  on  our  right.  Clouds  of  riflemen,  supported  by  considerable  masses 
of  infantry,  and  protected  by  more  than  sixty  pieces  of  cannon,  placed  on 
the  heights  of  Gunstadt,  threw  themselves  on  the  Fourth  Division  and  on 
the  Second  Brigade  occupying  the  village  of  Elsashausen.  In  spite  of  vig¬ 
orous  charges,  many  times  repeated,  in  spite  of  the  well-directed  fire  of  the 
artillery,  and  several  brilliant  charges  of  the  cuirassiers,  our  right  was  borne 
back,  after  many  hours  of  obstinate  resistance.  At  four  o’clock  I  ordered 
the  retreat.  It  was  covered  by  the  First  and  Third  Divisions,  who  put  a 
bold  face  on  affairs,  and  permitted  the  other  troops  to  retire  without  being 
too  much  pressed.  The  retreat  was  effected  to  Saverne  by  Niederbronn, 
when  the  Guyot  de  Fespart  Division  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  which  had  just  ar¬ 
rived,  took  up  position,  and  did  not  retire  until  after  nightfall.  I  enclose 
to  your  Majesty  the  names  of  the  officers  killed,  wounded,  or  missing.  The 


SA  TURD  A  y,  A  UGUST  6. 


135 


list  is  incomplete ;  and  I  will  send  it  again  when  I  can  get  it  in  its  complete 
state.  Accept,  etc. 

(Signed)  Marechal  MacMahon. 

MACMAHON’S  CONTINUED  FLIGHT. 

(Translated  from  the  French  of  Edmond  About.) 

Saturday  (Evening). 

It  was  clear  that  our  artillery  had  been  roughly  tried  when  lim¬ 
bers  were  seen  passing  without  their  guns.  There  were,  never¬ 
theless,  one,  two,  three  regiments  of  the  line  quite  firm,  suffi¬ 
ciently  perfect,  their  rifles  on  their  shoulders,  and  their  knap¬ 
sacks  at  their  backs.  In  their  rear  was  Marshal  MacMahon, 
calm,  dignified,  almost  smiling,  and  as  fresh  as  a  rose.  I  sal¬ 
uted  him  in  passing,  and  he  responded  without  knowing  me. 
One  of  his  aides-de-camp,  M.  d’Abzac,  named  me  to  him, 
and  he  then  stopped  and  asked  for  news,  listening  with  fine 
composure  to  the  defeat  of  M.  Frossard,  of  which  he  was  still 
ignorant,  and  telling  me  very  simply,  in  few  words,  of  his  own 
misfortune. 

“  I  had  but  35,000  men,  and  I  found  150,000  before  me. 
We  have  succumbed  to  numbers.  They  have  killed  or 
wounded  about  5,000  men,  but  we  will  take  our  revenge.  Ex¬ 
plain  that  to  the  public.  But  where  are  you  going  thus  ?  ” 

“To  Saverne.” 

“You  will  get  yourself  taken  ;  the  Prussians  will  be  there  in 
two  hours  ;  they  are  seen.” 

“  I  have  my  wife  and  my  children.” 

“  Then,  God  protect  you  !  Do  not  fail  to  say  that  the  morale 
of  the  troops  is  excellent.” 

We  shook  hands.  I  exchanged  a  few  good  words  with  M. 
d’Abzac.  I  recognized  Prince  Achille  Murat  in  his  martial 
guise,  but  I  sought  vainly  in  the  etat  major  at  a  distance  for 
the  smiling  and  sympathetic  face  of  M.  de  Vogne,  officier  d’ord- 
onnance.  That  noble  young  man  was  killed  by  a  bullet  in  the 
forehead,  as  General  Cdlson  was  by  a  bullet  in  the  heart,  both 
of  them  at  the  side  of  the  Marshal,  who  was  prodigal  of  his 
life.  Immediately  after  came  a  regiment  of  Turcos,  the  most 
solid  of  the  three.  A  la  bonne  heure !  These  had  thrown 
away  neither  their  knapsacks  nor  their  arms. 

SAVERNE  FRIGHTENED. 

I  found  the  little  towp  in  a  tremendous  panic.  Marshal 
MacMahon  arrived  here  on  Saturday  evening,  followed  by  the 
remains  of  his  army,  and  preceded  by  a  number  of  runaways 


13  6 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


out  of  breath.  In  the  wink  of  an  eye,  Saverne  was  seen  full  of 
soldiers  of  the  First  Corps,  who  the  enemy  very  luckily  believed 
to  have  retired  upon  Bitche.  They  quartered  themselves 
wherever  it  was  possible  —  the  most  fortunate  among  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  ;  those  who  had  brought  their  knapsacks  and  encamp¬ 
ments  under  tents,  many  on  the  pavements  of  the  streets,  and 
in  the  fields,  in  the  open  air.  The  night  was  passed  in  sleep. 
If  the  enemy  could  have  profited  by  the  opportunity,  they 
might  have  made  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  prisoners  at  one  coup. 
The  men  were  so  tired  that  they  had  not  the  severity  to  send 
any  on  vedette.  The  officers  said,  “What  should  we  do  if  we 
were  surprised?  We  should  appear  on  horseback  in  a  single 
line,  and  get  ourselves  killed  before  our  troops.  But  after  the 
things  which  they  have  done  to-day,  it  would  be  absurd  and 
cruel  to  ask  them  to  do  any  more.”  The  population  was  only 
half  reassured  by  our  presence,  dispirited,  discomforted,  and 
hungry.  Some  families  went  off  by  the  mail  train  at  midday  — 
the  last  which  could  go  from  Strasburg  to  Paris.  Others  re¬ 
gained  confidence  in  listening  to  the  officers,  who  kept  saying, 
more  from  habit  than  conviction,  “You  have  nothing  to  be 
afraid  of  while  we  are  here.”  But  on  Sunday,  at  six  o’clock, 
upon  a  false  alarm  caused  by  the  arrival  of  the  Fifth  Corps,  the 
Due  de  Magenta  had  the  generate  beat,  and  Saverne  believed 
itself  lost.  While  the  officers  and  soldiers  threw  themselves  on 
the  road  to  Pfalzburg,  three-quarters  of  the  inhabitants  utterly 
lost  themselves,  and  rushed  into  the  neighboring  woods.  The 
example,  a  sad  example,  was  given  them  by  the  gendarmes  and 
the  sergeants  de  ville.  They  shut  the  shops,  threw  their  furni¬ 
ture  into  the  gutters  ;  many  of  the  farmers  drove  their  beasts 
before  them,  as  in  the  time  of  Abraham.  There  was  an  in¬ 
credible  accumulation  of  men  and  beasts  in  the  wood-houses 
and  the  ruins  of  the  old  country  mansions.  This  morning  all 
is  quiet  in  the  town,  or  rather  all  is  dead.  We  expect  the  in¬ 
vasion  from  one  minute  to  the  other,  apd  we  shall  not  dream  of 
defending  ourselves  against  the  150,000  men  of  the  Prmce 
Royal. 

Sunday,  August  7.  —  Official  despatches  from  Napoleon, 
acknowledging  defeat  of  MacMahon  at  Woerth  and  Frossard  at 
Saarbriick.  Paris  in  a  frenzy.  General  Sheridan  represents 
General  Grant  at  the  seat  of  war.  Rejoicings  in  Berlin,  ana 
intense  excitement  in  Paris.  The  Empress  Regent  issues  a 


SUNDA  y  A  UGUST  7. 


137 


proclamation  appealing  to  the  patriotism  of  the  people.  The 
Corps  L6gislatif  and  Senate  convoked.  Retreat  of  MacMahon 
towards  Saverne.  Advance  of  the  Germans  into  France  along 
the  entire  line.  MacMahon’s  army  starving. 

Haguenau,  in  Alsace,  taken  by  the  Baden  cavalry,  which  over¬ 
runs  Alsace,  and,  with  a  loss  of  five  men  killed  and  wounded, 
captures  103  prisoners,  among  whom  are  39  Turcos.  The 
Germans  have  now  taken  more  than  10,000  prisoners,  immense 
stores,  trains,  and  magazines,  and  inflicted  three  demoralizing 
defeats  upon  the  French.  Pfalzburg  (a  fortified  place  in  Lower 
Alsace,  on  a  spur  of  the  Vosges,  2000  or  3000  inhabitants)  is 
beleaguered.  Bitche,  having  only  300  Mobile  Guards  for  a 
garrison,  is  merely  blockaded  by  one  company.  German  cav¬ 
alry  near  Luneville  (on  the  Meurthe,  about  sixteen  miles  from 
Nancy,  with  13,000  inhabitants).  Haguenau,  abandoned  by 
the  French,  occupied  by  the  Germans.  Saarguemiind  occupied. 
Forbach  taken  after  a  slight  action.  The  whole  French  army 
beaten  and  retreating.  The  centre  driven  in,  the  right  wing 
turned  and  cut  off,  and  Napoleon  calls  upon  France  to  rise 
and  save  the  country. 

FRENZY  OF  PARIS. 

PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  MINISTRY. 

“  Frenchmen,  — Up  to  this  hour  we  have  always  given  without  reserve 
all  the  certain  news  which  we  have  received,  and  we  continue  to  do  so. 
Last  night  we  received  the  following  despatches : 

“Metz,  August  7,  12.30  a.m.  — Marshal  MacMahon  has  lost  a  battle. 

“  General  Frossard  on  the  Saar  has  been  compelled  to  fall  back. 

“  The  retreat  is  being  effected  in  good  order. 

“All  may  be  regained  ( tout J>eut  se  rttablir). 

“Napoleon.” 

“Metz,  August  7,  3.30  a.m.  — My  communication  with  MacMahon  being  broken,  I 
had,  until  yesterday,  but  little  news  of  him.  General  L’Aigle  informed  me  that  MacMahon 
had  lost  a  battle  against  very  considerable  forces  of  the  enemy,  and  that  he  had  withdrawn 


138 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


in  good  order.  The  battle  began  at  one  o’clock,  and  did  not  appear  very  serious  until 
gradually  increasing  reinforcements  came  up  on  the  enemy’s  side,  without,  however,  com¬ 
pelling  the  Second  Corps  to  fall  back.  Only  between  six  and  seven  o’clock,  as  the  enemy 
became  constantly  more  compact,  did  the  Second  Corps,  and  the  regiments  from  other 
corps  which  served  as  his  supports,  fall  back  upon  the  hills.  The  night  was  quiet.  I  go 
to  the  centre  of  our  position. 

“Napoleon.” 

“Paris,  August  7.  — The  Major-General  of  the  Army  to  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  : 
After  a  series  of  engagements,  in  which  the  enemy  brought  heavy  forces  into  the  field, 
Marshal  MacMahon  was  forced  to  fall  back  from  his  first  line. 

“  The  corps  of  General  Frossard  had  to  fight  yesterday  from  two  o’clock  in  the  afternoon 
with  an  entire  army  of  the  enemy.  Having  held  his  position  until  six  o’clock,  he  ordered 
a  retreat,  which  was  made  in  good  order. 

“Lebceuf.” 

Details  of  our  losses  are  wanting.  Our  troops  are  full  of  elan.  The 
situation  is  not  compromised ;  but  the  enemy  is  on  our  territory,  and  a  seri¬ 
ous  effort  is  necessary.  A  battle  appears  imminent.  In  the  presence  of 
this  grave  news,  our  duty  is  plain.  We  appeal  to  the  patriotism  and  the 
energy  of  all.  The  Chambers  have  been  convoked.  We  are  placing  Paris 
with  all  possible  haste  in  a  state  of  defence. 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  execution  of  military  preparations,  we  declare 
the  capital  in  a  state  of  siege.  There  must  be  no  faintheartedness,  no  divi¬ 
sions.  Our  resources  are  immense.  Let  us  pursue  the  struggle  without 
flinching,  and  the  country  will  be  saved. 

Paris,  the  7th  of  August,  1870,  at  10  p.m.  By  order  of  the  Empress 
Regent. 

M.  Ollivier,  Minister  of  Justice. 

Duke  de  Gramont,  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

M.  Chevaudin  de  Valdrome,  Minister  of  Interior. 

M.  Legris,  Minister  of  Finances. 

Gen.  Vicompte  de  Jean,  Minister  of  War  ad  interim. 

PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  EMPRESS. 

PARIS,  August  7,  3.50  P.M. — The  Council  of  Ministers  is  sitting  en 
permanence. 

Messrs.  Rouher  and  Schneider  have  been  summoned  to  the  Tuileries. 
The  Empress  arrived  at  five  o’clock  this  morning.  Her  Majesty  issued  the 
following  proclamation : 

“Frenchmen, — The  opening  of  the  war  has  not  been  in  our  favor.  Our  arms  have 
suffered  a  check.  Let  us  be  firm  under  this  reverse,  and  let  us  hasten  to  repair  it.  Let 
there  be  among  us  but  a  single  party  —  that  of  F ranee ;  but  a  single  flag  —  the  flag  of  our 
national  honor. 


5  UNDA  Y,  AUCUST  7. 


139 


“  I  come  in  your  midst.  Faithful  to  my  mission  and  to  my  duty,  you  will  see  me  first 
where  danger  threatens  to  defend  the  flag  of  France.  I  call  upon  all  good  citizens  to  pre¬ 
serve  order ;  to  disturb  it  would  be  to  conspire  with  our  enemies. 

“Eugenie. 

“  The  Tuileries,  August  7,  n  a.m.” 

PARIS  PLACED  IN  A  STATE  OF  SIEGE. 

Paris,  August  7,  10  a.m.  — The  Council  of  Ministers  has  addressed  a 
proclamation  to  the  people. 

Paris  is  placed  in  a  state  of  siege. 

The  Chambers  are  convoked  for  to-morrow. 

The  Bourse  has  been  firm  and  excited  on  a  rumored  victory  of  the 
French.  Rentes  closed  at  67.70,  or  one  franc  higher  than  yesterday. 

General  MacMahon  is  retiring  on  Nancy. 

Three  French  corps  have  not  been  engaged. 

MACMAHON’S  ARMY  STARVING. 

On  Sunday,  August  7th,  a  special  train  came  into  Nancy 
with  some  of  the  wounded.  Marshal  MacMahon  accompanied 
them.  He  came  “precipitately”  to  Nancy  in  search  of  sub¬ 
sistence  for  his  troops,  the  enemy  having  taken  all  his  provisions. 
His  troops  had  eaten  nothing  for  twenty-eight  hours.  The 
Marshal  went  on  foot  from  the  railway  station  to  the  Cafe  Boil- 
lot,  a  well-known  rendezvous  of  the  officers  of  the  garrison.  He 
was  in  such  a  state  as  to  be  hardly  recognized.  He  was  cov¬ 
ered  with  mud  from  head  to  foot,  his  hands  were  black,  one  of 
his  epaulettes  had  been  carried  away  by  a  bullet,  the  skirts  of 
his  uniform  were  full  of  bullet-holes,  his  telescope  was  broken 
asunder  by  a  ball,  which  at  the  same  time  slightly  wounded  him 
in  the  hand.  He  had  not  had  time  to  take  off  his  Hessian 
boots  and  long  spurs.  Everybody  in  the  cafe,  as  soon  as  he 
was  known,  respectfully  saluted  him.  He  hastily  called  for 
some  cold  meat,  for  he  had  not  tasted  food  for  twenty-eight 
hours.  He  wrote  a  letter  while  he  was  eating,  and  was  very 
soon  joined  by  an  officer,  who  is  believed  to  be  General  De 
Failly.  They  went  into  a  private  room  and  had  a  short  con¬ 
sultation,  after  which  the  Marshal  went  back  by  rail  with  the 
provisions  he  had  bought  for  his  soldiers.  An  inhabitant  of 
Nancy,  personally  acquainted  with  the  Marshal,  asked  him 
news  of  the  cuirassiers.  His  answer  was,  “  The  cuirassiers  ! 
why,  there  are  none  of  them  left.” 

When  he  returned  with  the  provisions,  he  addressed  his  men 
thus  : 


140 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AH  WAR. 


“  Soldiers, —  In  yesterday’s  battle  fortune  betrayed  yourcourage  ;  but  you  yielded  your 
positions  only  after  a  heroic  resistance,  which  lasted  not  less  than  nine  hours.  You  were 
35,000  against  140,000,  and  were  overwhelmed  by  force  of  numbers.  Under  these  condi¬ 
tions  defeat  is  glorious,  and  history  will  say  that  in  the  batde  of  Froschweiler  the  French 
showed  the  greatest  valor.  You  have  suffered  heavy  losses,  but  those  of  the  enemy  are 
much  greater.  Although  you  have  not  been  successful,  you  see  a  cause  in  your  misfortune 
which  makes  the  Emperor  satisfied  with  you,  and  the  entire  country  recognize  that  you 
have  worthily  sustained  the  honor  of  the  flag.  Let  us  show  that,  though  subjected  to  the 
severest  tests,  the  First  Corps,  forgetting  these,  closes  up  its  ranks ;  and,  God  aiding  us, 
let  us  seize  a  great  and  brilliant  revenge.” 

REJOICINGS  IN  GERMANY. 

Berlin,  August  7.  —  Salvoes  of  artillery  are  now  being  fired 
in  honor  of  the  victory  of  the  Prussian  arms. 

The  city  is  dressed  in  flags.  Hamburg,  Dresden,  and  Breslau 
are  in  a  blaze  of  excitement  and  joy.  It  is  a  great  day  for 
Germany. 

The  batch  of  500  French  prisoners,  who  have  reached  Berlin 
from  Weisenburg,  were  well  received  by  the  people,  who 
treated  them  with  the  respect  due  to  brave  men. 

MacMahon  is  retreating  on  the  road  to  Nancy. 

PRINCE  CHARLES  MOVING. 

Mayence,  A  ug-ust  7. — Prince  Frederick  Charles  proceeded  to-day  from  Homburg  to 
Bliescastel.  General  Steinmetz  is  between  Sulzbach  and  Saarbruck.  The  chief  head¬ 
quarters  of  the  Prussian  army  are  now  at  Kaiserslautern. 

Sulz,  A  ugust  7. — The  Crown  Prince  is  here.  Upwards  of  4000  prisoners  taken  at 
Woerth  have  been  brought  in.  Marshal  MacMahon  is  said  to  be  wounded. 

SHERIDAN  REPRESENTS  GRANT. 

Washington,  August  7.  — The  President,  after  consultation 
with  General  Sherman,  took  occasion  to  forward  to  General 
Sheridan  several  official  documents,  which  in  reality  place  the 
General  in  the  position  of  a  representative  of  the  President  as 
Commander-in-chief  of  our  Army  and  Navy  ;  he  also  sent  some 
telegraphic  messages  on  the  subject  to  Ministers  Bancroft  and 
Washburne,  and  to  General  Sheridan. 

KING  WILLIAM  ADDRESSES  THE  ARMY  FROM  HOMBURG. 

Soldiers  :  The  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  forced  back  after  bloody  fighting,  has  already  car¬ 
ried  a  great  part  of  our  army  over  the  frontier.  Many  corps  will  enter  upon  the  French 
soil  to-day  and  to-morrow.  I  expect  that  the  self-discipline  with  which  you  have  heretofore 
distinguished  yourself  will  be  also  especially  maintained  in  the  enemy’s  territory.  We 
carry  on  no  war  against  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  land  ;  it  is,  on  the  contrary,  the 
duty  of  every  honest  soldier  to  protect  private  properly,  and  not  to  allow  the  good  reputa* 


MONDA  V,  AUGUST  8. 


141 


tion  of  our  army  to  be  marred  by  even  one  example  of  lawlessness.  I  depend  upon  the 
excellent  feeling  which  possesses  the  army,  but  also  upon  the  vigilance  and  rigor  of  all 
commanders. 

STEINMETZ  ADDRESSES  HIS  VICTORIOUS  ARMY  BEFORE  PURSUING  FROSSARD. 

Soldiers  of  the  First  Army  !  By  command  of  His  Majesty  the  King,  the  First  army 
will  to-morrow  cross  the  French  boundary.  Let  us  greet  this  first  result  of  our  previous 
efforts  as  we  enter  upon  the  enemy’s  territory  with  a  hearty  hurrah  for  our  wise  supreme 
war-leader.  Of  your  good  conduct  in  the  struggle  which  awaits  us  with  an  equally  brave 
army,  I  am  assured  by  your  love  of  the  Fatherland,  your  courage,  and  your  just  pride,  which 
forbid  you  to  suffer  the  insults  cast  upon  us  by  an  intemperate  opponent  to  remain  un¬ 
noticed.  But  the  peace-loving  citizen  and  countryman,  as  you  will  say  yourselves,  stands 
under  the  protection  of  the  humanity  which  is  comprehended  in  Prussian  discipline.  I  trust 
that  you  will  never  falsify  either  the  one  or  the  other  by  excesses  which  can  never  be  counte¬ 
nanced  by  your  superiors.  When  and  where  the  enemy  confronts  us,  I  expect  that  he  will 
be  attacked  with  the  greatest  determination.  For  the  cavalry,  it  is  already  a  principle  of 
long  standing  that  it  always  attacks  first.  The  excuse  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  I 
can  never  allow,  when  the  thunder  of  the  cannon  can  be  heard.  On  the  contrary,  each 
detachment  of  troops  must  march  toward  that  direction,  and,  arrived  upon  the  battle-field, 
to  inform  itself  upon  the  condition  of  the  fight,  in  order  to  attack  at  once,  in  the  best  way. 
The  same  sound  must  also  serve  as  a  sound  to  each  superior  commander  in  a  pitched  bat¬ 
tle.  One  thing  more.  What  can  be  done  on  one  day  must  never  be  distributed  over 
two  days.  Only  with  the  greatest  energy  can  great  results  be  attained,  and  with  them  the 
peace  which  God  will  give  us  after  victorious  combat. 


Monday,  August  8. — Meeting  of  the  French  Parliament. 
Preparations  for  the  defence  of  Paris  begun.  Marshal  Bazaine 
made  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  French  army.  Arrangements 
made  to  call  out  the  entire  Garde  Mobile  of  France.  The 
army  of  the  Crown  Prince  advancing  rapidly  on  Saverne. 
Prussian  official  reports  of  victory.  Proclamation  of  the  French 
Ministry,  appealing  for  unity  of  action. 

Excitement  in  Paris.  General  Changarnier  offers  his  services, 
and  is  received  by  Napoleon.  The  Emperor  reports  the  situa¬ 
tion.  Paris  in  siege. 

NAPOLEON. 

Metz,  August  8,  io  a.m.  —  General  De  Failly  is  in  communication  with 
Marshal  MacMahon.  The  morale  of  the  army  is  excellent.  There  has 
been  no  attack  since  my  despatch  of  yesterday.  In  the  battle  of  Frosch- 
weiler  140,000  Prussians  attacked  Marshal  MacMahon’s  corps,  numbering 
only  33,000  men.  .  Napoleon. 


142 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  IVAR. 


1 


PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  FRENCH  MINISTRY. 

Paris,  August  8,  5.30  p.m.  — -The  following  proclamation, 
signed  by  all  the  Ministers,  is  now  being  posted  up  throughout 
Paris  : 

“  Frenchmen  ! —  We  have  told  you  the  whole  truth  ;  it  is  now  for  you 
to  fulfil  your  duty.  Let  one  single  cry  issue  from  the  breasts  of  all,  from 
one  end  of  France  to  the  other.  Let  the  whole  people  rise  quivering,  and 
sworn  to  fight  the  great  fight.  Some  of  our  regiments  have  succumbed  be¬ 
fore  overwhelming  numbers,  but  our  army  has  not  been  vanquished.  The 
same  intrepid  breath  still  animates  it.  Let  us  support  it.  To  a  momen¬ 
tarily  successful  audacity  we  will  oppose  an  union  which  conquers  destiny. 
Let  us  fall  back  upon  ourselves,  and  our  invaders  shall  hurl  themselves 
against  a  rampart  of  human  breasts.  As  in  1792,  and  at  Sebastopol,  let 
our  reverses  be  the  school  of  our  victories.  It  would  be  a  crime  to  doubt 
for  an  instant  the  safety  of  our  country ;  and  a  greater  still  not  to  do  our  part 
to  secure  it.  Up,  then,  up  !  and  you  inhabitants  of  the  Centre,  the  North, 
and  the  South,  upon  whom  the  burthen  of  war  does  not  fall,  hasten  with 
unanimous  enthusiasm  to  the  help  of  your  brethren  in  the  East.  Let 
France,  united  in  success,  be  still  more  united  under  trial ;  and  may  God 
bless  our  arms  !  ” 

PARIS  IN  SIEGE. 

Napoleon,  by  the  grace  of  God  and  the  national  will,  Emperor  of  the  French  :  — To  all 
for  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting.  Our  Council  of  Ministers  having  been  heard, 
we  have  decreed  and  do  decree  as  follows  :  Art.  i.  The  Department  of  the  Seine 
(Paris  principally)  is  declared  in  the  state  of  siege.  Art.  2.  Our  Ministers  are  charged  in 
their  respective  Departments  to  execute  the  present  decree.  —  For  the  Emperor,  and  in 
virtue  of  the  powers  conferred  on  us  by  him,  Eugenie.  By  the  Empress  Regent.  The 
Garde  des  Sceaux,  Minister  of  Justice  and  Public  Worship,  Emile  Ollivier. 

Tuesday,  August  9.  —  General  advance  of  the  Prussians 
upon  Metz.  Strasburg  besieged  by  the  South  German  for¬ 
ces.  The  French  army  concentrating  upon  Metz.  MacMa- 
hon  leaves  Saverne,  and  continues  his  retreat  to  Nancy.  Over¬ 
throw  of  the  Ollivier,  Ministry  by  the  Corps  Legislatif.  Intense 
excitement  in  Paris. 

General  Uhrich,  with  10,000  men,  besieged  in  Strasburg  by 
General  Werder  with  17,000  Prussians. 

A  change  of  the  Ministry  in  Paris. 

THE  SITUATION. 

Baden  troops  at  Brumath,  twelve  miles  north  of  Strasburg.  Cavalry 
and  artillery  close  under  the  walls.  General  Uhrich,  in  the  city,  refuses  to 
surrender.  The  last  French  troops  at  Rome  leave  Civita  Vecchia.  Lich- 


TUESDA  V,  AUGUST  9/ 


143 


tenburg,  in  the  Vosges,  bombarded  and  set  on  fire.  The  French  army, 
which  from  Forbach  had  retreated  to  the  intrenched  line  of  the  l  iver  Nied, 
now  abandons  that  line,  and  retreats  to  the  Moselle. 

General  Frossard  has  retired  upon  Metz  with  the  Second  Corps. 

L’Admirault  has  joined  Bazaine  at  Metz  from  Thionville,  with  the 
Fourth  Corps. 

MacMahon  and  De  Failly  are  retreating  at  Luneville,  on  Nancy. 

The  Crown  Prince  with  the  Third  army  is  at  Saverne,  moving  rapidly 
after  the  flying  forces  of  MacMahon. 

Steinmetz  is  at  St.  Avoid  with  the  First  army. 

Prince  Frederick  Charles,  with  the  Second  army,  has  marched  on 
to  French  soil,  and  is  now  at  St.  Avoid,  moving  on  Pont-a-Mousson,  to  take 
a  position  between  MacMahon  and  Metz. 

Bazaine  is  in  chief  command  of  the  French  army  at  Metz,  and  De  Caen 
commands  Bazaine’ s  old  corps,  the  Third. 

The  force  in  Metz  is  as  follows  • 


L’Admirault,  Fourth  Corps .  32,000 

Frossard,  Second  Corps .  30,000 

De  Caen,  Third  Corps .  34,000 

Bourbaki,  Imperial  Guards,  eight  corps .  25,000 

“  Cavalry .  5,000 


The  Emperor  is  here,  at  the  headquarters  of  Bazaine. 

Against  this  126,000  men  of  Bazaine,  the  Prussians  can  bring  the  First 
and  Second  armies  of  Steinmetz  and  Prince  Charles,  numbering  2So,ooo 
men.  The  French  are  always  outnumbered. 

FRENCH  LOSSES. 

Terrible  accounts  of  the  losses  in  the  late  battles  circulate  in  Paris.  According  to  La 
France ,  the  Eighth  Cuirassiers  is  reduced  from  600  to  170  men,  nearly  all  the  officers 
being  wounded  or  dead.  The  Ninth  Cuirassiers  lost  35  officers,  and  had  only  220  men 
left.  Out  of  65  officers  in  the  Third  Zouaves,  47  were  dead,  wounded,  or  missing.  Of  the 
whole  regiment  only  500  to  600  men  remain. 

A  German  correspondent  of  the  Vienna  military  paper,  Der  Kamerad ,  writes  from 
Paris  that  MacMahon,  having  fought  with  33,000  men  at  Woerth,  was  unable  to  collect 
more  than  18,000  after  the  retreat.  From  7000  to  8000  had  fled  to  Strasburg,  and  the 
remainder  were  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  with  the  exception  of  a  thousand  or  two 
who  might  come  in  later.  A  week  later  this  correspondent  puts  the  losses  at  Woerth  at 
9000  killed  and  wounded  and  6500  prisoners.  To-day  Ilaguenauwas  occupied,  having 
been  abandoned  by  the  enemy.  The  affair  at  Niederbronn  was  brought  on  by  some 
French  troops  making  a  stand  during  their  retreat.  They  were  defeated  by  Bavarians. 
Wurtemberg  cavalry  also  had  a  successful  action  at  Reichshoffen,  and  took  four  guns,  one 
mitrailleuse,  and  large  booty.  Headquarters  of  King  in  Homburg  ;  of  First  army  in 
Saarbrucken ;  of  Second  army  in  Bliescastel ;  and  of  Third  army  in  Sulz.  The  Third 
army  being  established  in  French  territory,  General  Von  Werder  proceeds  with  his  own 
corps  and  the  Baden  division  southward,  and  occupies  Haguenau. 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


144 


A  VOTE  AGAINST  THE  MINISTRY. 

Paris,  Tuesday ,  Aug.  9. — The  Corps  Legislatif  met  to-day. 
An  order  of  the  day  directed  against  the  Ministry  was  proposed 
by  Deputy  Clement  Duvernois,  and  was  adopted  by  a  large 
majority.  M.  Ollivier  asked  for  the  suspension  of  the  sitting 
for  a  few  minutes. 

STORMY  SCENES. 

Paris,  August  9,  6.40  P.M.  — The  Corps  Legislatif  has  declared  urgent 
all  the  propositions  submitted  by  the  Minister  of  Wai\ 

M.  Jules  Favre  demanded  the  immediate  armament  and  complete  organ¬ 
ization  of  the  National  Guard  in  Paris  and  the  Departments  on  the  basis  of 
the  law  of  1831.  He  attributed  the  reverses  ot  the  army  to  the  absolute 
incapacity  of  the  General-in-Chief,  and  therefore  demanded  that  the  Em¬ 
peror  should  relinquish  the  command,  and  that  the  Legislative  Body  should 
take  in  hand  the  direction  of  the  affairs  of  the  country.  Indescribable  agi¬ 
tation  followed  this  speech  ;  the  Deputies  of  the  Left  applauded  it,  but  the 
majority  protested.  M.  Granier  de  Cassagnac  declared  that  such  a  motion 
was  the  commencement  of  revolution.  (Tumult  and  excitement.) 

M.  Picard  proposed  that  the  regiments  now  in  Paris  should  be  sent  to 
the  frontier,  and  said  that  if  arms  are  refused  to  the  population  of  Paris, 
they  would  procure  them  by  every  possible  means.  He  demanded  a 
change  of  Ministry. 

Baron  Jerome  David,  who  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Weisenburg, 
said:  “If  our  soldiers  heard  us  they  would  cry  out,  ‘  Leave  internal  dissen¬ 
sions.’  Let  the  army  retain  the  confidence  that  the  whole  of  France  is  at 
its  back.” 

M.  Ferry,  assuming  a  threatening  attitude  towards  the  Ministry,  shouted, 
“  Paris  is  being  fired  upon.” 

Count  Keratry  demanded  the  abdication  of  the  Emperor,  and  was  called 
to  order. 

The  discussion  was  declared  to  be  closed,  and  the  sitting  was  suspended. 

An  immense  crowd  surrounds  the  Legislatif  building,  and  the  authorities 
have  been  obliged  to  clear  the  approaches. 

The  journals  almost  unanimously  demand  the  general  armament  of  the 
population.  There  was  a  great  display  of  military  forces  in  Paris  yesterday  ; 
10,000  men  of  the  marine  and  infantry  arrived  from  Cherbourg  and  other 
ports  on  Monday.  The  people  cheered  the  troops,  and  shouted  “A  la 
frontiere.  ” 

THE  NEW  FRENCH  MINISTRY. 

Paris,  August  io.  — The  Count  de  Palikao  has  announced  in  the  Chamber  that  the  new 
Ministry  had  been  constituted  as  follows  : 

General  Cousin-Montauban  (Count  de  Palikao).  Minister  of  War. 

M.  Chevreau . Minister  of  Interior* 

M.  Magne . Minister  of  Finance. 

M.  Clement  Duvernois.. . . Minister  of  Commerce  and  Agriculture. 

Admiral  Rigault  de  Genouilly . Minister  of  Marine. 


:ij.  'r*r>ILHb  T 


TUESDAY,  AUGUST  9. 


145 


Baron  J6rome  David . Minister  of  Public  Works. 

Prince  de  la  Tour  d’ Auvergne . Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

M.  Grandperret . Minister  of  Justice. 

M.  Jules  Brame . Minister  of  Public  Instruction. 

M.  Busson-Billault . President  of  the  Council  of  State. 

OLLIVIER. 

The  order  came  from  Metz  to  turn  out  Ollivier,  the  Emperor 
seeking  to  propitiate  Paris  by  sacrificing  the  most  unpopular 
and  least  responsible  of  his  advisers.  Ollivier  himself  had  not 
the  least  suspicion  of  his  fate.  He  came  smiling  into  the 
Chamber,  only  to  leave  it  pale,  terrified,  and  ruined. 

BIOGRAPHIES  OF  THE  NEW  FRENCH  MINISTRY.* 

COUNT  PALIKAO,  MINISTER  OF  WAR. 

{Biography  given  with  the  French  Generals,  page  96.) 

ADMIRAL  RIGAULT  DE  GENOUILLY, 
the  Minister  of  Marine,  has  been  in  the  naval  service  for  forty-two  years,  and  com¬ 
manded  a  detachment  of  marines  during  the  siege  of  Sebastopol.  In  i860  he  entered  the 
Senate,  and  has  since  distinguished  himself  by  taking  an  active  part  in  administrative 
affairs,  and  in  1867  was  appointed  Minister  of  Marine.  During  the  illness  of  the  late 
Marshal  Niel,  he  was  temporarily  in  charge  of  the  War  Department.  He  is  regarded  as 
an  able  authority  upon  all  matters  connected  with  the  naval  service,  and  as  practically 
conversant  with  the  important  changes  introduced  during  the  last  decade. 

PIERRE  MAGNE, 

the  Minister  of  Finance,  has  given  evidence  of  great  administrative  ability,  and  was 
Minister  of  France  from  1845  to  i860.  He  was  previously  in  the  Constituent  and  Legis¬ 
lative  Assemblies,  and  was  appointed  Minister  of  Public  Works  in  1851.  He  did  not  oc¬ 
cupy  a  leading  position  as  a  debater,  but  his  practical  speeches  were  always  listened  to 
with  attention. 

BARON  JEROME  DAVID, 

the  Minister  of  Public  Works,  entered  the  naval  service  at  an  early  age,  but  afterward  joined 
the  army,  and  served  in  Africa  and  the  Crimea.  He  entered  the  Corps  L6gislatif  in  1859, 
and  has  since  been  several  times  re-elected  as  a  Government  candidate.  He  was  Vice- 
President  of  the  Corps  L6gislatif  during  the  sessions  of  1867,  ’68,  and  ’69.  He  has  been 
prominent  in  debate,  and  when  M.  Schneider  last  year  resigned  the  position  of  President 
on  account  of  the  reappointment  of  Baron  David  to  the  Vice-Presidency,  the  Emperor 
personally  intervened,  and  testified  his  esteem  for  the  Baron,  and  desired  to  have  him  con¬ 
tinue  in  that  position. 

HENRI  CHEVREAU, 

the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  has  been  forsome  time  designed  for  that  position.  He  has, 
almost  since  his  entry  into  public  life,  been  known  as  an  active  and  ardent  supporter  of 
Napoleon’s  interests,  even  during  the  coup  cT etat.  He  has  in  consequence  been  liberally 
rewarded. 


*  At  the  declaration  of  the  Republic  the  Napoleonic  Ministry  was  changed  thus  : 
Trochu,  War,  and  President ;  Cremieux,  Justice  ;  Fourichon,  Marine  ;  Favre,  Foreign 
Affairs ;  Gambetta,  Interior  :  Picard,  Finance ;  Magnin,  Commerce ;  Simon,  Public 
Instruction  ;  Dorian,  Public  Works. 

7 


146 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  IVAR. 


JULES  BRAME, 

the  Minister  of  Public  Instruction,  represents  a  Northern  District  in  the  Corps  Legisla¬ 
te,  and  is  remarkable  as  an  ardent  Protectionist,  and  advocate  of  the  rights  of  labor. 

CLEMENT  DUVERNOIS, 

the  Minister  of  Commerce,  has  been  recently  conspicuous  in  French  journalism  by  his 
servile  subserviency  to  the  Emperor,  whose  views  he  was  regarded  as  expressing  in  the 
Pcuple  FratiQais.  He  recently  retired  from  that  journal.  Many  political  pamphlets  have 
been  written  by  him  in  the  interests  of  imperialism. 

PRINCE  DE  LA  TOUR  D’ AUVERGNE, 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  is  a  member  of  an  ancient  Vendean  family,  and  has  been 
engaged  in  the  diplomatic  service  for  about  ten  years.  He  was  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs  in  1869,  but  retired  on  the  formation  of  the  Ollivier  Cabinet.  He  has  since  acted 
as  French  ambassador,  and  is  regarded  as  identified  with  the  Clerical  party. 

Wednesday,  August  10.  —  The  Palikao  Ministry  organized. 
Laws  passed  calling  out  all  Frenchmen  between  the  ages  of 
twenty-five  and  thirty-five.  Napoleon  invited  to  return  to 
Paris.  General  Trochu  appointed  Governor  of  Paris. 

THE  EMPIRE  DEAD  ! 

Excitement  and  blows  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  Strasburg 
refuses  to  surrender.  King  William  proclaims  the  war  against 
armed  soldiers,  not  citizens.  The  Empress  sends  a  secret  de¬ 
spatch  for  Napoleon  to  return  to  Paris. 

The  French  army  continues  its  retreat  toward  the  Moselle  at 
all  points.  The  cavalry  of  all  the  Prussian  armies  follow  close 
at  their  heels.  The  line  Saarunion,  Gross  Tenquin,  Faulque- 
mont,  Fouling,  Les  Etangs,  is  passed  by  the  cavalry.  Great 
stores  of  provisions,  two  pontoon  trains,  several  railway  trains 
captured.  The  small  fortress  Liitzelstein  (Petite  Pierre),  in  the 
Vosges,  has  been  abandoned  with  its  guns  and  magazines. 
Lichtenburg  capitulates  with  280  men.  Commander  Uhrich, 
in  Strasburg,  issues  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  says  that  the 
walls  are  armed  with  400  guns,  and  the  garrison  contains 
1 1,000  men,  without  counting  the  National  Guard;  and  adds 
that  “  if  Strasburg  .is  attacked,  it  will  be  defended  to  the  last 
man,  the  last  ration,  the  last  bullet.” 


WEDNESDAY, ,  AUGUST  io. 


147 


THE  SIEGE  OF  STRASBURG. 

General  Uhrich  addresses  the  people  of  Strasburg  thus  : 

Disturbing  rumors  and  panics  have  been  spread,  either  by  accident  or  design,  within 
the  past  few  days,  in  our  brave  city.  Some  individuals  have  dared  to  express  the  opinion 
that  the  place  would  surrender  without  a  blow.  We  protest  energetically,  in  the  name  of 
a  population  courageous  and  French,  against  these  weak  and  criminal  forebodings.  The 
ramparts  are  armed  with  400  cannon.  The  garrison  consists  of  11,000  men,  without  reck¬ 
oning  the  stationary  National  Guard.  If  Strasburg  is  attacked,  Strasburg  will  defend 
herself  as  long  as  there  shall  remain  a  soldier,  a  biscuit,  or  a  cartridge.  The  well-affected 
may  reassure  themselves  ;  as  to  others,  they  have  but  to  withdraw. 

The  General  of  Division,  Uhrich. 

The  Prefect  of  the  Bas-Rhin,  Baron  Pron. 

Strasburg,  Aug.  10. 

STRASBURG, 

the  old  capital  of  Alsace,  is  one  of  the  strongest  fortified 
towns  in  Europe,  and  the  centre  of  the  defence  of  the  French 
frontier  of  the  Rhine.  Besides  being  the  seat  of  military  and 
artillery  schools,  which  make  it  a  sort  of  capital  of  military 
science,  and  more  or  less  assure  its  maintenance  in  efficiency, 
it  is  an  arsenal,  and  contains  a  cannon  foundry,  and  ateliers 
for  various  kinds  of  military  manufactures.  It  is  undoubtedly 
capable  of  rendering  immense  service  to  France  in  this  war, 
whether  as  a  depot  in  the  second  line,  or  as  a  base  of  operations 
against  South  Germany  ;  but  there  is  an  essential  difference 
between  it  and  the  German  fortresses  lower  down  the  Rhine  : 
Mayence,  for  instance,  has  Kastel  for  its  bridge-head  on  the 
right  bank,  and  thus  commands  the  passage  of  the  river  ;  while 
Kehl,  opposite  Strasburg,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Prussians. 

THE  KING  AT  SAARBRUCK. 

August  10. — The  cavalry  are  everywhere  sweeping  down 
upon  the  French.  Steinmetz  (First  army)  is  at  St.  Avoid  and 
Carling.  Prince  Charles  (Second  army)  is  moving  towards 
Pont-a-Mousson,  to  cross  the  Moselle. 

King  William  is  here  —  just  leaving  for  the  front.  The 
soldiers  cheer  him.  It  is  a  grand  shout  of  patriotic  enthusiasm. 
The  King  seems  overcome  with  emotion.  He  addresses  the 
soldiers  in  short  phrases,  as  “ Iminer  vorwdrtis ,  meine  Kinder  /” 
As  the  King  leaves  the  town,  he  addresses  the  following  in 
French  to  the  French  people  : 

We,  William  King  of  Prussia,  make  known  the  following  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  French 
territories  occupied  by  the  German  armies.  The  Emperor  Napoleon  having  made,  by  land 


148 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


and  by  sea,  an  attack  on  the  German  nation,  which  desired  and  still  desires  to  live  in  peace 
with  the  French  people,  I  have  assumed  the  command  of  the  German  armies  to  repel  this 
aggression,  and  I  have  been  led  by  military  circumstances  to  cross  the  frontiers  of  France. 
I  am  waging  war  against  soldiers,  not  against  French  citizens.  The  latter  consequently 
will  continue  to  enjoy  security  for  their  persons  and  property  so  long  as  they  themselves 
shall  not,  by  hostile  attempts  against  the  German  troops,  deprive  me  of  the  right  of  accord¬ 
ing  them  my  protection.  By  special  arrangements,  which  will  be  duly  made  known  to  the 
public,  the  generals  commanding  the  different  corps  will  determine  the  measures  to  be 
taken  towards  the  communes  or  individuals  that  may  place  themselves  in  opposition  to  the 
usages  of  war.  They  will  in  like  manner  regulate  all  that  concerns  the  requisitions  which 
may  be  deemed  necessary  for  the  wants  of  the  troops,  and  they  will  fix  the  rate  of  exchafljge 
between  French  and  German  currencies,  in  order  to  facilitate  the  individual  transactions 
between  the  troops  and  the  inhabitants. 

THE  EMPRESS’S  SECRET  DESPATCH. 

The  Empress  sent  this  despatch  to-day  to  the  Emperor:  “ M.  Pietri’s  despatch  has 
been  received  and  adds  :  “  Have  you  considered  the  consequences  of  a  return  to  Paris 
under  the  blow  of  two  reverses?  I  decline  the  responsibility  of  advising  you.  If  you 
have  decided,  would  it  not  be  best  to  have  it  stated  to  the  country  thus  :  ‘  The  Emperor 
returns  to  Paris  to  reorganize  the  second  army,  provisionally  intrusting  the  command-in¬ 
chief  of  the  Army  of  the  Rhine  to  Bazaine.’  Eugenie.” 

FIGHTING  IN  PARIS. 

Paris,  Wednesday,  Aug.  io,  1870. 

In  the  Corps  Legislatif  to-day,  the  project  of  Deputy  Ker- 
atry,  for  the  calling  under  arms  of  all  unmarried  men  of  the 
classes  of  1859  to  1864,  inclusive,  was  extended  to  embrace 
all  men  from  the  ages  of  25  to  35  who  are  not  married,  and 
not  already  members  of  the  Garde  Mobile. 

THE  EMPIRE  SICK. 

Jules  Favre  proposed  that  the  Chamber  should  assume  full 
power  to  save  the  country ;  the  incapacity  of  the  Emperor  to 
command  the  army  had  been  too  conclusively  proved,  and  he 
should  be  recalled. 

A  tremendous  uproar  ensued.  The  voice  of  the  President 
was  heard  propounding  the  truism,  that  the  motion  was  unconsti¬ 
tutional.  He  added  :  “  You  will  never  make  a  revolution  with 
this  Chamber.”  Granier  de  Cassagnac  said,  with  great  energy, 
that  if  he  were  in  the  Ministry,  he  would  have  Jules  Favre  and 
all  the  members  of  the  Left  brought  to  a  court-martial,  and 
shot  that  very  evening.  Ollivier,  in  an  excited  state,  said  :  “  M. 
Jules  Simon  has  asked  me  whether  we  mean  to  have  all  the  op¬ 
position  Deputies  shot.”  What  answer  he  made,  the  tumult  ren¬ 
dered  it  impossible  to  collect. 

The  Count  de  Keratry  proposed  that  the  Chamber  should 
now  treat  Napoleon  III.  as  a  Chamber  treated  Napoleon  I.  in 
1815.  The  Ministers  and  Home  Deputies  actually  came  to 
blows,  and  Chevandier  de  Val  drome  had  his  face  scratched. 


WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  io. 


149 


THE  EMPIRE  DYING. 

Paris,  August  io  {Morning).  —  The  Empire  is  on  its  last 
legs,  but  it  will  die  hard,  and  involve  millions  in  its  ruin.  Im¬ 
becility  is  killing  it  —  mismanagement  is  the  poison  gnawing 
at  its  vitals.  An  old  man  in  his  dotage  cannot  lead  French 
armies  to  victory. 

DEAD! 

Evening.  —  M.  Thiers  has  just  said  in  the  French  Chamber, 
“  The  Empire  is  henceforth  out  of  the  question.  There  can  be 
7io  E7npire  without  an  E77iperor.  The  Republic  is  Inevita¬ 
ble.” 


THE  FRENCH  EMPIRE 

has  ceased  to  exist.  Napoleon’s  attempt  to  appease  an  angry 
and  threatening  populace  by  sacrificing  an  unlucky  General  and 
a  subservient  Ministry,  is  not  successful.  The  people  look  upon 
him  as  the  cause  of  all  their  humiliation.  They  denounce  him 
openly.  They  have  no  hesitation  in  asking  his  abdication.  He 
has  no  longer  the  direction  of  the  country.  No  reference  to 
him  is  found  in  the  debates  on  the  situation,  except  a  request 
that  he  will  return  to  Paris  and  await  the  people’s  pleasure. 
The  Corps  Legislatif  threatens  to  resolve  itself  into  a  National 
Convention,  assumes  the  entire  responsibility  of  the  National 
defence,  and  already  contemplates  the  idea  of  taking  the  sover¬ 
eign  power  away  from  an  incompetent  ruler,  and  intrusting  it  to 
a  military  dictator,  who  shall  be  charged,  as  the  Roman  consuls 
were  of  old  in  hours  of  extraordinary  peril,  to  see  that  no  evil 
happen. 

LICHTENBURG. 

The  small  fortress  of  Lichtenburg,  which  guards  a  defile  of  the  Vosges,  near  Ingweiler, 
has  capitulated  ;  and  at  Petite  Pierre,  and  other  military  posts,  large  quantities  of  mil¬ 
itary  stores  have  been  taken. 

Thursday,  Aug.  n.  —  The  French  Minister  of  the  Interior 
calls  on  the  Prefects  to  organize  bodies  of  free  soldiers,  who 
will  receive  one  franc  per  day.  Gardes  Mobile  organizing  in  all 
parts  of  France.  MacMahon  hotly  pursued  towards  Chalons 
by  the  Crown  Prince. 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  ON  THE  MARCH. 

Advance,  Nancy,  Aug.  n. — We  have  passed  Saverne, 


150 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


.Pfalzburg,  Sarreborg,  and  Luneville,  and  now  the  whole  army 
seems  to  be  rushing  towards  Chalons  and  Paris.  We  pick  up 
thousands  of  MacMahon’s  and  Douay’s  stragglers,  guns,  and 
blankets.  His  army  must  be  fearfully  demoralized.  Daily  the 
Crown  Prince  shifts  his  quarters  from  village  to  village. 

Everything  is  done  in  perfect  order.  The  carriages  are  told  off  in  a 
slow-moving  column,  with  mounted  troopers  at  intervals  to  regulate  the  line 
of  march,  and  when  all  are  placed  there  is  a  halt  of  a  few  minutes  to  allow 
the  Prince  and  his  staff  to  pass.  Well  may  the  villagers  stare  at  the  show, 
for  they  are  not  likely  to  see  again  so  many  fine  horses  and  bright  uniforms. 
Old  and  young  crowd  the  wayside  as  his  Highness  goes  by,  and  doff  their 
caps  respectfully,  but  without  any  sign  of  welcome.  It  is  curious  to  see 
these  German  Frenchmen,  or  rather  these  Gallicized  Germans,  dealing  with 
the  invaders.  The  power  of  understanding  one  another  makes  their  inter¬ 
course  much  less  disagreeable  than  might  be  supposed.  Yet,  nevertheless, 
there  is  a  strong  sympathy  with  France  among  the  Alsacian  peasants,  be¬ 
cause  they  have,  thanks  to  the  conscription,  such  a  number  of  t.heir  sons 
serving  in  the  French  army.  I  notice  that  the  younger  folks  can  all  speak 
a  little  French,  though  they  answer  the  question  of  the  soldiers,  “  Parlez 
vous  chassepot,”  with  a  sententious  “nein,”  which  seems  to  imply  utter 
ignorance  of  the  language  referred  to.  Poor  souls  !  They  are  very  much 
frightened  by  this  astounding  invasion,  and  make  the  most  of  their  rough 
Alsacian  dialect  as  a  means  of  propitiating  the  new  and  dreaded  invaders 
of  the  Empire.  This  dread  of  the  invaders  is  founded  on  a  notion  of  what 
might  be  rather  than  on  what  really  happens.  Beyond  compulsory  service  in 
country  wagons  to  carry  wounded  men  or  loads  of  hay,  and  compulsory  sales 
of  provisions  to  the  military  authorities,  there  is  little  to  complain  of.  It  is 
as  with  Wellington’s  army  in  Southern  France  in  1814,  rather  than  as  with 
the  allied  armies  in  that  memorable  year.  No  invasion  can  be  pleasant  to 
the  conquered  people,  but  this  one  of  1870  is  conducted  on  the  humane 
principles  of  modern  warfare.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  has  resolved 
to  strike  only  at  the  French  Government,  and  at  the  armed  forces  which 
oppose  him,  and  to  spare  as  far  as  possible  the  unfortunate  people  who  in¬ 
habit  the  scene  of  hostilities. 


Friday,  August  12.  —  Great  energy  of  the  new  Ministry 
of  France.  Paris  tranquil.  Crown  Prince  at  Nancy.  Mac- 
Mahon  arriving  at  Chalons.  The  French  Senate  adopt  the 
Bills  granting  1,000,000,000  (a  billion)  francs  for  war  purposes. 
King  William  at  Herny.  Canrobert  goes  to  Metz  with  the 
Sixth  Corps. 

METZ. 

(Translated from  the  French.) 

Friday  [Evening),  Aug.  12. —  For  some  days  there  has  been  nothing 
but  marching  and  counter -marching.  The  troops  are  utterly  weary. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  Canrobert’s  corps  has  arrived,  and  the  remaining  reg- 


FRIDAY,  AUGUST  12. 


151 


iments  are  coming  this  evening.  By  to-morrow  200,000  men  will  be  in 
line  between  Montigay  les  Sablons,  Grigny,  and  Herny.  The  soldiers,  though 
complaining  of  useless  fatigue,  are  full  of  ardor,  and  impatient  of  the  pro¬ 
hibition  to  tire  on  Prussian  scouts. 

The  Prussians  occupy  the  whole  country  in  front,  and  use  the  French  rail¬ 
ways  to  bring  up  troops.  The  whole  country  has  been  abandoned  to  them. 
They  occupy  the  villages  and  towns  in  parties  of  one  hundred,  and  even 
twenty.  It  is  believed  here  that  there  is  a  comparatively  small  force  oppo¬ 
site  Metz,  and  that  the  main  army  is  getting  in  the  rear  of  the  French.  Gen. 
Frossard  is  reported  to  be  under  arrest.  The  soldiers  are  kept  constantly 
in  readiness,  and  are  ordered  not  to  take  off  their  shoes.  Thirty  Prussian 
prisoners  were  brought  in  from  Pont-a-Mousson  last  night.  The  railway 
was  cut  at  that  point,  but  is  now  repaired.  Four  spies  were  taken  to¬ 
day.  The  dragoons  of  the  Sixth  Corps  have  just  returned  from  a  serious 
reconnoissance. 

MACMAHON. 

Chalons,  Friday. —  MacMahon’s  extreme  advance  is  arriv¬ 
ing.  It  is  composed  of  runaway  stragglers.  The  main  force 
is  at  Bar-le-Duc,  fatigued,  jaded,  and  demoralized.  Disorgan¬ 
ized  bodies  of  troops  are  arriving  here  from  Paris.  General 
Trochu  has  been  placed  in  command  of  the  Twelfth  Corps,  a 
new  corps  forming  here.  General  Vendez  is  to  command  the 
Thirteenth  Corps,  forming  in  Paris.  MacMahon’s  45,000  men, 
they  say  ( on  dit ),  has  dwindled  down  to  18,000  men ;  and  Dou- 
ay’s  30,000  to  12,000.  MacMahon  will  have  to  (lui  faut)  in¬ 
corporate  the  Twelfth  Corps,  now  forming,  into  his  command. 
Canrobert  has  gone  to  Metz  with  the  Sixth  Corps.  Provisions 
and  stores  are  arriving  from  Paris.  The  new  troops  embrace 
the  old  troops,  and  there  is  great  excitement.  The  fortress  of 
Toul  is  left  with  a  garrison  strong  enough  to  hold  it  against  a 
large  army.  MacMahon  destroyed  the  Toul  bridge  of  seven 
arches  over  the  Moselle  when  the  Crown  Prince  made  his  ap¬ 
pearance. 

Division  General  Jarras  (until  now  director  of  the  war  depot  in  the  Min¬ 
istry  of  War)  is  appointed  chief  of  staff,  army  of  the  Rhine,  in  place  of 
Marshal  Leboeuf ;  Brigadier-General  l’Heriller  to  command  the  Third  di¬ 
vision  in  place  of  General  Raoult,  wounded  and  a  prisoner  ;  Belle  to  com¬ 
mand  of  General  Douay’s  division  ;  Aymard  to  general  of  division,  and 
Vice-Admiral  La  Ronciere  le  Nourryto  division  of  marines  in  Paris  :  Rear- 
Admirals  Saisset  and  Pothuan  to  under-commanders  of  this  division. 

Saturday,  August  13. —  The  Emperor  proclaims  about  Sad- 
owa  and  the  Crimea.  Steinmetz  before  Metz.  Prince  Charles 
passes  Pont-a-Mousson  in  his  flank  movement  on  Metz. 


152 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


King  William  proclaims,  “The  conscription  is  abolished 
throughout  the  French  territory  occupied  by  German  troops.” 
The  French  abandon  the  Nied,  and  fall  back  on  Metz.  Gen¬ 
eral  Trochu  forming  a  corps  35,000  strong  in  Chalons,  and 
General  Vinoy  a  similar  one  in  Paris.  King’s  headquarters  at 
I-Ierny.  A  French  battalion  sent  from  Metz  toward  Pont-ii- 
Mousson  retreated  hastily,  leaving  its  baggage,  as  the  latter 
place  was  occupied  by  the  German  troops.  The  latter  de¬ 
stroyed  the  railway  north  of  Frouard.  Other  detachments 
took  forage  trains  in  the  advanced  posts  of  the  French  troops, 
which  were  still  on  the  glacis  before  Metz. 

EMPEROR’S  PROCLAMATION. 

Metz,  August  13. 

Soldiers  : — To-morrow  will  be  the  14th  of  August,  that  anniversary  of  your  triumphant 
return  to  Paris  after  that  glorious  campaign  which  decided  the  destiny  of  Austrian  domin¬ 
ation  in  Italy.  On  that  day,  as  after  your  Crimean  victories,  all  France  welcomed  you 
with  enthusiasm,  and  Europe  dazzled,  saluted  you  as  worthy  sons  of  the  grand  armies  of 
the  First  Empire.  To-day,  however,  Prussia  dares  to  invade  the  sacred  soil  of  the  coun¬ 
try.  She  launches  against  you  a  torrent  of  men,  who  have  surprised  your  valor  and  for 
the  moment  triumph  over  your  indomitable  courage.  Let  us  march  again  to  encounter 
them.  Soldiers,  at  Jena,  against  these  same  Prussians,  so  arrogant  to-day,  your  fathers 
fought  as  one  to  three  ;  again  at  Montmirail,  one  to  six.  Is  any  among  you  inflamed  by 
that  exciting  memory,  let  him  set  an  example  to  all  Frenchmen.  The  Saxons,  the  Wur- 
tembergers,  the  soldiers  of  the  Rhenish  ex-confederation,  groan  at  being  compelled  to  lend 
their  arms  to  the  cause  of  Prussia.  They  know  what  little  respect  that  power  has  for 
the  rights  of  peoples.  After  absorbing  millions  of  Hanoverians,  Danes,  and  Germans, 
she  will  not  hesitate  to  absorb  the  remains  of  Southern  Germany.  Insensates  !  a 
moment  of  prosperity  blinds  them.  The  oppression  or  humiliation  of  Frenchmen  belongs 
not  to  them.  May  they  have  entered  France  only  to  find  their  graves  !  Soldiers,  we 
shall  have  to  deliver  fierce  and  bloody  battles  ;  but  with  energy  and  patriotism  the  coun¬ 
try’s  honor  will  be  safe.  For  every  Frenchmen  with  a  heart,  the  moment  has  arrived  to 
conquer  or  to  die.  Napoleon. 

WAR  PICTURES. 

( Translated  from  the  German.) 

Headquarters  (between  Toul  and  Nancy), 
Crown  Prince,  August  13. 

What  a  sight  !  a  victorious  army  marching.  The  brilliant 
staff  comes  out  of  the  village  in  the  midst  of  wondering  rus¬ 
tics.  The  long  train  of  headquarters’  carriages  and  wagons 
follows  steadily  behind.  Let  us  pass  on  through  the  village, 


SATURDAY,  AUGUST  13. 


153 


and  look  round  us  as  we  come  into  the  open  country.  Those 
men  under  the  trees  yonder  are  lancers,  watching  the  field  tel¬ 
egraph.  That  dark  mass  of  horses  and  wagons  creeping 
along  the  road  is  a  column  of  ammunition  moving  towards  the 
front.  There  are  the  sutlers’  carts  following  the  army  resolute¬ 
ly  wherever  it  may  go,  and  there  are  the  peasants  pressed  into 
the  service  with  their  carts  and  horses.  They  are  not  afraid  of 
their  invaders  —  at  least,  not  very  much  afraid  —  as  we  see  by 
those  peasant  girls  who  stand  chatting  with  the  drivers  of  the 
artillery  wagons. 

Now  we  hear  the  squeal  of  a  pig  and  the  cackle  of  a  chicken. 
The  rascals  are  looking  out  for  something  better  than  black 
bread  and  salt.  Some  soldiers  have  run  on  to  a  bee-hive.  The 
bees  swarm  around  them.  The  soldiers  can  charge  the  heights 
of  VVoerth,  but  they  run  like  Turcos  from  the  maddened  bees. 
There  is  a  shout,  and  the  honey  goes  from  hand  to  hand. 

Forward  from  village  to  village,  forward  from  one  column 
to  another,  we  glide  to  the  front,  and  find  the  lancer  out¬ 
posts  approaching  the  enemy  with  care.  They  look  sharply 
about  them.  It  is  no  joking  matter  to  be  shot  through  the 
head ;  and  behind  that  clump  of  trees,  just  in  front  of  them, 
they  have  a  glimpse  of  French  uniforms.  Very  cautiously 
they  advance.  Now  we  see  the  Frenchmen  slowly  winding 
their  way  up  an  opposite  hill,  and  in  ten  minutes  more  the 
lancers  are  in  the  village  below.  They  want  food,  they  want 
forage  for  their  horses,  they  ask  eagerly  after  liquor  of  any 
sort. 

The  staff  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  is  made  more  brill¬ 
iant  by  the  presence  of  several  other  German  princes  who  are 
serving  under  his  orders.  There  is  the  candidate  for  the  Span¬ 
ish  throne, 

PRINCE  LEOPOLD  OF  HOHENZOLLERN, 
riding  beside  his  kinsman  to  assert  the  right  of  Germans  not  to 
be  bullied  because  Spaniards  choose  to  manage  their  own  affairs. 
He  is  a  jolly  fellow  —  this  “bone  of  contention”  —  this  cause 
of  the  death  of  countless  legions  !  He  hands  a  llask  of  wine 
to  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg,  brother  of  the  lamented  Prince 
Albert  of  England,  and  whose  little  principality  is  German 
to  the  core.  To  the  Fatherland  they  drink,  and  Prince  Leo¬ 
pold  points  out  the  smoking  bridge  of  Toul,  fired  by  the  flying 
MacMahon.  There  is  the  young  Prince  of  Mecklenburg,  son 
of  the  English  Princess  of  Cambridge.  Fie  looks  like  an  Eng¬ 
lishman,  but  his  heart  is  warm  for  the  great  German  Father- 

7* 


154 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


land  These  and  other  men  of  high  position  in  Germany  follow 
the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  as  he  rides  forth  from  halting  place 
to  halting  place,  always  farther  on  French  soil.  You  should 
stand  at  a  corner  of  the  village  and  see  the  staff  go  by. 

The  peasants  do  not  cheer.  It  would  be  absurd  if  they  did, 
for  their  sons  are  serving  in  the  French  army,  though  they  are 
of  German  stock.  They  do  not  cheer,  but  they  have  a  good 
long  stare,  hat  in  hand. 

Sunday,  August  14.  — The  French  begin  their  retreat  across 
the  Moselle  river.  General  advance  of  the  German  army. 
Severe  fight  of  Steinmetz,  in  front  of  Metz  (Pange).  The 
Prussians  pursue  the  French  up  to  the  guns  of  St  Quentin. 
Germans  expelled  from  Paris  - —  400  families.  The  French 
army  withdrawing  across  the  Moselle  is  reported  to  contain 


130,000  men  : 

Bazaine,  Third  Corps  (De  Caen) . 50,000 

“  Fourth  Corps  (L’Admirault) . 30,000 

“  Second  Corps  (Frossard) . 25,000 

“  Gardes  (Bourbaki) . 25,000 —  130,000 

MacMahon,  First  and  Fifth  Corps . 50,000 

Canrobert,  Sixth  Corps . 50,000 


Total . . . 230,000 

The  Prussian  army  in  front  of  the  French  is  reported  to  con¬ 
tain  : 

Steinmetz  :  First,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Corps . 110,000 

Prince  Charles  :  Second,  Third,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  ....  150,000 
Crown  Prince:  Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh,  two  Bavarian.  ..180,000 


440,000 

The  Crown  Prince  at  Toul.  Prince  Charles  at  Pont-a- 
Mousson,  moving  north  toward  Metz,  and  Steinmetz  opening 
his  guns  on  the  east  of  Metz.  The  King  at  Herny,  and  the 
Emperor  flying  from  Metz,  toward  Mars-la-Tour.  Forty-five 
thousand  men  leave  Paris  for  the  front.  The  French  army  is 
now  formed  in  thirteen  corps,  of  which  Bazaine  has  the  Guards, 


METZ ,  AUGUST  14. 


155 


and  the  four  old  corps  in  his  “  Army  of  the  Rhine  ”  at  Metz. 
Three  others,  mixed  regulars  and  recruits,  form  the  “  Army  of 
Paris.”  The  Twelfth  Corps  is  the  reserve  of  the  Army  of  the 
Rhine,  and  the  Thirteenth  (Vinoy’s)  that  of  the  Army  of  Paris. 
Fifty  thousand  men  working  on  the  defences  of  Paris. 

DESPATCHES. 

Loxgueville,  Aug.  14,  10  P.  M. — The  army  began  to  cross  to  the 
left  bank  of  the  Moselle  this  morning.  Our  advance  guard  had  no  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  presence  of  any  force  of  the  enemy.  When  half  of  our  army 
had  crossed  over,  the  Prussians  suddenly  attacked  in  great  force.  After  a 
fight  of  four  hours,  they  were  repulsed,  with  great  loss  to  them. 

Napoleon. 

The  Queen  of  Prussia  to-day  received  the  following  despatch,  dated  in  the 
vicinity  of  Metz,  Sunday  evening  : 

“  A  victorious  combat  occurred  near  Metz  to-day,  the  troops  of  the  First 
and  Seventh  Corps  participating.  I  hasten  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict. 

“  William.” 

To  Queen  Augusta  :  Herny. 

A  victorious  combat  near  Metz,  by  troops  of  the  Seventh  and  First  Army 
Corps.  Details  still  wanting.  I  am  going  at  once  to  the  battle-field. 

The  advance  guard  of  the  Seventh  Corps  attacked  last  evening,  towards 
five  o’clock,  the  retreating  enemy,  who  took  up  a  position,  and  called  rein¬ 
forcements  from  the  fortress.  Parts  of  the  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth  di¬ 
visions,  and  of  the  First  Corps,  supported  the  advance  guard.  A  very 
bloody  fight  spread  along  the  whole  line,  the  enemy  was  thrown  back  at  all 
points,  and  the  pursuit  was  carried  as  far  as  the  glacis  of  the  outworks. 
The  neighborhood  of  the  fortress  permitted  the  enemy  to  cover  his  wounded 
to  a  great  extent.  After  our  wounded  were  cared  for,  the  troops  with¬ 
drew  at  daybreak  into  their  old  bivouacs.  The  troops  are  reported  to 
have,  all  of  them,  fought  with  a  wonderful  energy  and  gayety  not  to  be  ex¬ 
pected.  I  have  seen  many  of  them,  and  have  thanked  them  from  my  heart. 
The  joy  was  overpowering.  I  spoke  with  Generals  Steinmetz,  Zastrow, 
Manteuflel,  and  Goeben. 


William. 


156 


THE  FRANCO- PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


BATTLE  BEFORE  METZ. 

(PANGE - COURCELLES.) 

The  morning  of  the  14th  found  the  advance  of  the  Crown  Prince 
past  Toul,  moving  by  rapid  marches  on  Bar-le-Duc,  cutting  off 
MacMahon  from  Metz  and  filling  Paris  with  consternation. 
King  William  was  at  Herny.  Prince  Charles,  with  the  Second 
army,  was  moving  rapidly  across  the  Moselle  at  Pont-&-Mous- 
son,  flanking  Metz,  and  at  the  same  cutting  all  possible  com¬ 
munication  between  MacMahon  and  Bazaine.  With  the  Crown 
Prince  and  MacMahon  it  seemed  like  a  race  for  Paris.  Stein- 
metz,  with  Goeben  and  Zastrow,  was  encamped  to  the  west  of 
Metz,  to  prevent  the  retreat  of  Bazaine  from  that  quarter. 

Suddenly  there  comes  a  pause.  The  position  of  both 
armies  is  fearfully  tragic.  It  was  a  moment  big  with  events. 
Four  armies  were  marching  to  carryout  great  strategetic  move¬ 
ments.  Two  rulers  were  facing  each  other- — Napoleon  at 
Metz,  and  King  William  at  Herny.  Napoleon  first  sees  the 
danger  of  his  position,  and  makes  preparation  for  a  hasty 
flight  with  the  Prince  Imperial.  Before  leaving  the  garrison, 
threatened  with  investment,  he  holds  a  consultation  with  Ba¬ 
zaine.  It  is  decided  that  Bazaine  shall  try  to  cut  his  way  to 
MacMahon.  The  Emperor  leaves  at  two  p.m.  for  Verdun. 
He  leaves  a  tragic  proclamation  behind. 

He  says  :  “  On  quitting  you  to  fight  the  invaders,  I  confide 
to  your  patriotism  the  defence  of  this  great  city.  You  will  never 
allow  the  enemy  to  take  possession  of  the  bulwark  of  France, 
and  I  trust  you  will  rival  the  army  in  loyalty  and  courage.  I 
shall  ever  remember  with  gratitude  the  reception  I  have  found 
within  your  walls,  and  I  hope  that  in  more  joyous  times  I  may 
be  able  to  return  to  thank  you  for  your  noble  conduct.” 

When  he  wrote  those  words  he  thought  Bazaine  would  soon 
follow  him.  Alas  !  for  human  calculations.  Little  did  he  think, 
when  he  left  Bazaine,  that  he  left  behind  him  a  crown  and  a 
throne.  Bazaine  attempted  to  follow.  Canrobert  and  a  portion 
of  the  Imperial  Guard  had  withdrawn  towards  Longueville,  fol¬ 
lowing  the  Emperor  towards  Verdun,  when  L’Admirault  and  De 
Caen  were  violently  attacked  by  Steinmetz’s  First  and  Seventh 
Corps  near  Colombey.  Thus  began  the  battle  on  Sunday.  The 
advance  uhlans  from  Prince  Charles’  army  had  espied  the  re¬ 
treating  force  of  the  Emperor,  who  was  fleeing  with  the  Prince 
Imperial  and  an  escort  of  Cent  Gardes  on  the  Verdun  road. 

The  First  Corps  (German  right  wing,  Manteuffel)  advances  from  Et- 
angb  and  St.  Barbe,  in  front  of  Noisseville  and  Montoy. 


a  */ 


GRAVELOTTE 

- -AUG  18  - - 

■■FOR  CE3: 


STEIN  METZ  1,7  8.  C . 110.000 

PRmCtGHA.RLES  23.9,10; J  50,000  " 

IB  AZAINIE 

2,3, 4,6,  GUARDS . 175,000 


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METZ ,  AUGUST  14. 


157 


The  Seventh  Corps  (left,  Zastrow)  and  a  division  of  the  Ninth  advance 
on  Colombey. 

The  Eighth  Corps  (Goeben)  is  in  reserve  near  Flanville. 

The  French  occupy  in  the  beginning  Servigny,  Noisseville,  Montoy,  Co¬ 
lombey,  and  Borny  (the  French  right,  L’Admirault ;  centre,  De  Caen ; 
left,  Frossard). 

The  French  form  a  horse-shoe  line  from  Borny  through  Co¬ 
lombey,  Montoy,  Noisseville,  and  Nouilly. 

The  Prussians  occupy  the  outside  line  of  the  horse-shoe,  and 
pour  a  concentric  and  well-delivered  fire  upon  the  French. 
The  air  is  tilled  with  cannon  balls  falling  down  upon  the  French 
position.  Covered  by  the  artillery  tire,  at  four  o’clock  the  in¬ 
fantry  advances.  The  French  are  driven  back,  and  their  posi¬ 
tions  repeatedly  stormed. 

At  five  the  whole  line  is  engaged.  L’Admirault  and  De 
Caen  show  a  determined  front  on  the  right  at  Borny,  Grigy, 

I  and  Colombey,  and  battle  obstinately  at  every  point.  Zast¬ 
row  advances  impetuously  against  Colombey  from  the  south. 
The  slaughter  is  terrible.  Every  storming  party  seems  to  ad¬ 
vance  into  the  jaws  of  Death.  The  conflict  grows  hotter.  The 
whole  Seventh  Corps  is  engaged —  Glurner,  Kamecke,  and 
Woynac.  Eight  batteries  pour  an  incessant  stream  of  shot  and 
shell  upon  Colombey.  Every  advance  of  the  Prussians  is  met 
with  an  equally  hot  fire  from  the  French.  Woynac  storms  the 
French  right  near  Colombey.  It  is  a  fearful  advance.  The 
French  fire  sweeps  the  german  lines  with  deadly  precision. 
These,  however,  were  filled  up,  as  if  the  North  gave  out  heroes 
at  call.  The  deep  rumbling  growl  of  the  mitrailleuse,  the  roar 
of  the  heavy  guns  from  the  outworks  of  the  fortifications,  the 
spiteful  spitting  of  the  chassepot,  and  the  cutting  ring  of  the 
1  needle-gun  bullets,  is  said  by  the  officers  to  have  been  sorne- 
i  thing  truly  infernal  !  The  attack  is  repulsed.  Again  the  Ger¬ 
mans  form  and  advance  over  the  field  strewn  with  dead  brothers. 
It  is  the  advance  of  Lee  upon  the  left  centre  at  Gettysburg,  but 
with  a  better  result.  Weary  and  decimated,  the  brave  French 
I  give  way.  There  is  a  shout  of  victory  from  the  Prussian  left, 
and  the  Ostend  Brigade  occupy  the  wood  covering  Colombey. 
The  French  right  is  defeated,  and  L’Admirault  falls  back  upon 
the  guns  of  Fort  Quelen,  commanding  with  1 7  guns  the  south 
of  Metz.  De  Caen  looks  with  aching  eyes  towards  Noisseville 
*  to  know  the  fate  of  Frossard. 

Towards  evening,  General  Frossard  decided  to  make  one 
more  attack  on  the  Prussians  to  the  north.  This  last  resort  was 
an  offensive  movement  to  turn  the  Prussian  left  towards  Ser- 


158 


THE  FRANC  O-P.R  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


vigny.  The  First  Corps  met  the  French  with  sturdy  courage, 
and  then  Manteuffel  ordered  a  bold  advance  against  Frossard. 
The  onslaught  was  bloody.  It  was  the  last  struggle  of  the 
giants.  Crippled,  decimated,  and  defeated,  the  French  recoiled 
back  upon  Nouilly  and  then  behind  the  guns  of  Bellecroix. 
Night  threw  a  veil  over  the  thousands  slain,  and  darkness  closed 
the  fight. 

In  the  darkness  of  night,  the  Prussians  advance  through  the 
miles  of  slaughtered  braves  before  the  guns  of  Bellecroix,  one  of 
the  outworks  of  Metz.  There  was  sorrow  as  well  as  joy  in 
Steinmetz’s  army.  The  victory  was  complete,  but  the  real  cost 
to  Prussia  was  beyond  computation.  Few  prisoners  were  taken 
and  few  trophies,  owing  to  the  activity  of  the  fortress,  the  heavy 
fire  of  which  tore  through  the  Prussian  masses.  General  Stein- 
metz,  who  came  in,  was  in  time  to  give  orders  for  the  night 
and  the  following  day,  and  to  prepare  for  a  renewal  of  the 
conflict. 

The  Prussian  force  engaged  was  about  80,000  men  with  125 
guns,  with  40,000  men  in  reserve. 

The  French  force  engaged  was  about  60,000  men,  with  150 
guns,  with  30,000  men  in  reserve,  besides  troops  in  Metz. 

The  battle  was  a  mitigation  of  disaster  to  the  French,  and  a 
fearfully  bloody  success  to  the  Prussians.  In  this  most  savage 
slaughter  the  Prussians  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  4000 ;  the 
French  2000. 

FRENCH  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  BATTLE  AT  METZ  (14th  AuS.) 

( Translated  from  the  Figaro .) 

On  taking  command,  Marshal  Bazaine,  seeing  the  country  invaded  on  three  sides  by  the 
armies  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  Prince  Frederick  William,  and  Marshal  Steinmetz, 
contemplated  uniting  the  scattered  French  troops  at  Metz,  in  order  to  be  able  to  confront 
the  enemy.  One  point  in  this  movement  was  at  Borny,  a  small  village  at  the  junction  of 
the  Boulay,  St.  Avoid,  and  Forbach  roads.  There  the  enemy  advanced,  confident  of 
triumph. 

While,  therefore,  on  Sunday,  Aug.  14,  the  enemy  had  decided  to  cross  the  Moselle  and 
leave  Metz  behind  him,  a  great  movement  was  taking  place  in  the  French  camp.  Gen.  L’Ad- 
mirault  was  preparing  to  turn  Metz  on  the  north,  and  thus  separate  himself  from  De  Caen, 
who  would  enter  the  city,  when  the  enemy,  who  was  well  posted  at  Noisseville,  Montoy, 
and  Colombey,  had  the  boldness  to  open  fire  on  us.  The  troops  halted.  The  soldiers  of 
L’Admirault,  who  had  already  left  by  the  ravine  of  Valliere,  returned  and  advanced  toward 
the  Prussians.  In  an  instant  the  fire  thus  opened  from  Valliere  to  Grigy  by  way  of  Borny, 
being  a  length  of  nearly  six  miles.  The  Prussians  never  resisted  such  an  attack.  The 
cannonade  continued  from  four  to  five  o’clock.  It  ceased  then  for  an  hour,  to  allow  the 
infantry  and  mitrailleuses  to  do  their  work,  and  recommenced  at  half-past  six,  ceasing  only 
when  the  enemy  had  entirely  abandoned  their  positions.  It  was  one  of  the  most  glorious 
feats  of  the  war.  The  enemy  left  2000  dead  on  the  field,  while  our  loss  was  scarcely  1000. 
Rows  of  men  were  lying  in  the  order  they  stood ;  and  the  wounded  were  in  some  cases 


SUNDAY, ,  AUG  US  T  14. 


159 


under  the  dead.  This  was  the  work  of  the  French  mitrailleuses.  It  must  be  said,  how¬ 
ever,  that  the  Prussian  steel  cannon  did  us  considerable  damage. 

At  three  o’clock  p.m.  the  Third  Corps  (De  Caen),  the  Fourth  Corps  (L’Admirault),  and  La 
Garde  Imperiale  (Bourboki),  were  preparing  also  to  leave  their  encampments,  when  sud¬ 
denly  the  Prussians  were  seen  to  prepare  for  battle,  some  of  their  regiments  taking  positions 
as  tirailleurs,  some  others  preparing  offensive  movements  in  front  of  the  woods  of  Borny,  and 
in  the  direction  of  Grigy  and  Mercy  le  Metz.  The  intention  was  unmistakable.  The 
French  troops  under  the  command  of  Marshal  Bazaine,  were  composed  of  the  Third  and 
Fourth  Corps  and  La  Garde  Imperiale.  They  were  fronting  Borny,  Grigy,  and  Mercy  le 
Metz,  the  Imperial  Guard  forming  the  reserve  near  the  Fort  Quelen.  At  half-past  four 
the  attack  commenced.  A  heavy  fire  of  artillery  was  at  once  heard  in  every  direction,  the 
soldiers  of  the  Prussian  landwehr  heading  the  Prussian  corps  d’arm6e.  A  battery  of  ar¬ 
tillery  with  a  mitrailleuse  was  making  fearful  havoc  in  the  Prussian  ranks. 

At  seven  o’clock  p.m.  the  Prussians  were  making  a  movement  of  retreat.  A  mitrailleuse 
had  been  twice  taken  from  the  French.  The  brave  Colonel  of  the  Forty-fourth  Infantry, 
Second  Division,  in  retaking  the  mitrailleuse,  was  the  cause  of  an  immense  body  of  Prus¬ 
sians  emerging  suddenly  from  the  woods,  and  precipitating  themselves  as  an  infuriated 
torrent  on  the  French  divisions;  it  was  only  a  pretext,  for  it  was  expected  that  the  Prus¬ 
sians  would  follow  the  same  tactics  as  at  Forbach  and  Froschweiler,  which  consists  of  keep¬ 
ing  out  of  sight  their  masses,  their  best  divisions,  and  when  the  result  of  the  battle  seems 
to  be  in  favor  of  their  opponent,  to  change  defeat  into  victory  by  that  powerful  movement  of 
immense  bodies  of  troops  plunging  suddenly  on  the  enemy ;  but  this  time  Marshal  Bia- 
zaine  had  prepared  a  match  for  them.  The  Imperial  Guard,  commanded  by  Bourbaki, 
had  been  kept  in  reserve  ;  their  artillery,  from  a  strong  position,  began  the  defensive,  the 
grenadiers  advanced,  and  from  that  moment  till  a  quarter  to  nine  you  might  have  thought 
you  were  in  the  middle  of  the  eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius.  Fort  Quelen  sweeping 
with  its  powerful  batteries  the  flank  of  the  advancing  columns,  regiments  of  cavalry  charg¬ 
ing  on  the  wings,  at  a  quarter  to  nine  precisely  the  Prussians  were  retreating,  leaving  from 
23,000  to  24,000  men  hors  de  combat.  The  French  have  lost  close  on  4000  men  killed  or 
wounded. 

One  hundred  and  forty  thousand  Prussians  took  part  in  the  fight  against  70,000  French¬ 
men  (positively).  Owing  to  the  Fort  Quelen  slaughtering  the  enemy,  the  Guards,  except 
its  artillery  and  a  brigade  of  grenadiers,  did  not  fight.  They  were  kept  in  reserve  to  the 
last.  During  the  combat,  the  rest  of  the  French  army  was  retiring  on  the  route  to  Verdun, 
and  at  nine  o’clock  I  followed  the  Imperial  Guard,  retreating  in  the  same  direction,  the 
day’s  work  being  over. 

THE  EMPEROR. 

(Tratislated  from  the  pen-pictures  of  Edmond  About .j 
The  Emperor,  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  was  at  Longueville  with 
the  Prince  Imperial,  Prince  Napoleon,  and  their  aides-de-camp,  in  an  inn  situ¬ 
ated  in  the  middle  of  the  village.  The  Prussians  were  certainly  not  aware 
of  the  presence  of  those  illustrious  guests,  or  the  house  would  have  been  bat¬ 
tered  with  artillery.  Two  or  three  shells,  however,  fell  a  few  paces  off,  and 
as  the  village  was  in  danger  of  being  destroyed  by  the  enemy’s  fire,  the 
Marshal  sent  to  warn  his  Majesty  of  the  peril,  and  orders  were  at  once 
given  for  the  departure  of  the  Imperial  household.  The  Emperor  and  his 
suite  mounted  on  horseback,  but  the  difficulty  was  great,  as  the  country 
around  was  scoured  by  the  German  troops.  A  guide,  however,  undertook 


1G0 


THE  FRAN  CO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


to  lead  the  party  by  pathways  through  vineyards,  and  at  a  certain  moment 
the  Emperor  passed  within  a  mile  and  a  half  of  the  Prussians,  who,  how¬ 
ever  well  informed  they  usually  are,  were  not  aware  that  such  a  rich  prize 
was  within  their  reach.  After  two  or  three  hours  march  through  woods 
and  plantations,  which  time  must  have  appeared  very  long  to  his  Majesty 
and  his  suite,  they  arrived  at  the  high  road,  which  they  had  then  only  to  follow 
to  reach  their  next  destination  at  Gravelotte.  The  Emperor  rested  one  day 
at  Verdun,  and  then  proceeded  to  Chalons  by  rail  in  a  third-class  carriage; 
the  servants  at  the  station,  who  had  not  been  informed  of  the  departure  of 
the  Imperial  household,  had  not  even  time  to  clean  out  the  compartments, 
which  still  bore  traces  of  the  troops  who  had  travelled  in  them  on  the  pre¬ 
ceding  days.  He  was  only  too  glad  to  find  a  third-class  carriage  at  Verdun, 
in  which  to  pursue  his  way  to  Chalons.  An  officer  approached  him  at  St. 
Hilaire,  and  without  much  ceremony  ventured  to  say,  “  Sire,  you  must  be 
fatigued.”  “Yes,  indeed!”  answered  the  Emperor,  “  and  hungry  also.  ” 

He  is  altered  astonishingly ;  looking  not  only  much  older,  but  blotched 
and  puffy.  He  moves  about  with  an  air  of  helplessness. 

Chaxons,  Aug  14. —  The  Imperial  headquarters  present  an  aspect  of 
melancholy.  The  Emperor  does  not  show  himself,  and  no  one  has  seen 
him  since  his  arrival  at  the  camp.  In  passing  along  the  road  near  the  pavil¬ 
ion  which  he  occupies,  I  met  the  Prince  Imperial,  in  uniform,  and  wearing 
air  the  military  medal,  walking  with  his  equerry.  He  had  the  gay  and  care¬ 
less  of  a  boy  of  his  age.  After  following  the  road  for  a  distance,  he  crossed 
a  field  and  went  and  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  a  ditch,  where  he  amused 
himself  in  drawing  lines  or  figures  with  his  walking-cane  in  the  sand. 

It  was  on  Thursday,  the  28th  of  July,  that  the  Emperor  made  his  entry 
into  Metz,  and  promised  to  lead  the  army  beyond  the  frontier  of  the 
Empire.  He  has  remained  there  just  sixteen  days,  and  leaves  the  city,  as  he 
says,  “to  resist  invasion.” 


FEELING  IN  PARIS. 

The  Moniteur  dn  Soir  publishes  an  article  full  of  confidence  and  resolu¬ 
tion.  The  following  is  an  extract,  and  is  a  fair  exhibit  of  the  tone  of  the 
French  press  : 

The  passage  at  arms  which  took  place  yesterday  under  the  guns  of  Metz  is  the  first  act 
in  the  new  drama.  Eight  days  hence  the  energy  that  has  marked  the  first  operations  of 
the  invaders  will  have  given  way  to  discouragement  and  exhaustion.  Our  fortified  towns 
all  hold  out  —  Bitsche,  Pfalzburg,  Verdun,  all  defended  by  the  army  and  their  inhabi¬ 
tants,  answer  with  their  guns  to  the  arrogant  summons  of  the  enemy.  The  national  de¬ 
fence  commences.  It  bnt  just  commences,  and  every  Frenchman  is  ready  to  answer  the 
call  of  his  country.  See  your  National  Guards,  Guards  Mobile  and  volunteers,  who  art 
on  the  way  to  the  Vosges  Mountains  1  There  shall  the  Prussians  find  their  graves.  They 
have  asked  for  a  war  of  races,  and  such  they  shall  have. 


MONDAY,  AUGUST  15. 


1G1 


Monday,  August  15.  —  Engagement  near  Longueville. 
Departure  of  Napoleon  for  Verdun.  Bazaine  leaves  Metz, 
and  then  places  his  army  in  echelon,  right  and  left  from  Rezon- 
ville.  Headquarters  of  the  Marshal  and  Emperor  in  Grave- 
lotte.  The  Guards,  Second,  Third,  and  Fourth  Corps  lie  be¬ 
tween  Metz  and  Doncourt,  front  toward  south,  in  two  lines. 
The  Emperor  telegraphs  the  Empress  :  “  All  is  prepared  for  a 
great  battle,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  I  can  now  guarantee  a 
victory  that  will  perhaps  be  decisive.” 

Prince  Charles  moves  north  from  Pont-it-Mousson  toward 
Thiaucourt  and  Gorze.  Bazaine  reconnoitres  toward  Mars-la- 
Tour.  There  are  now  eighteen  Prussian  corps  d’armee.  Besides 
the  First,  Second,  and  Third  armies  of  Steinmetz,  Prince  Charles 
and  the  Crown  Prince,  the  Fourth  army,  under  the  Crown  Prince 
of  Saxony,  has  the  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps,  and  the  Saxon 
and  Prussian  Guards  •  the  Fifth  army,  under  Gen.  Werder,  has 
the  Wilrtemberg  and  Baden  Divisions,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
siege  of  Strasburg ;  the  Sixth  Army,  under  the  Grand  Duke  of 
Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  is  on  the  Rhine. 

WAR  PICTURES. 

(THE  EMPEROR.) 

(Translated  from  the  French.) 

Longueville,  Aug.  15. 

The  Emperor  has  transferred  to  this  pretty  little  spot  his  headquarters, 
and  somehow  or  other,  by  dodging  about  and  watching  my  opportunity,  I 
have  been  able  to  follow  him. 

On  March,  August  15  (near  Geniyaux). 

Balls  and  shells,  which  whizzed  at  six  this  morning  over  my  head,  killed 
the  commandant  of  a  line  regiment,  and  severely  wounded  other  officers  of 
_  the  same  regiment.  Six  or  seven  soldiers  were  also  struck,  and  were  borne 
past  me  to  the  ambulance.  The  fort  which  commands  Longueville,  where 
the  enemy  surprised  us,  discharges  some  twelve-pounders,  and  dislodges  the 
enemy,  who  retire.  I  perch  myself  on  the  imperiale  of  the  post  carriage. 
The  road  is  full  of  fourgons.  We  draw  up  for  a  moment  till  our  turn 
comes,  before  the  house  where  General  Changarnier  passed  the  night. 

It  is  half-past  seven.  The  Emperor  mounts  his  horse,  with  the  Prince 
Imperial  and  Prince  Napoleon.  Marshal  Lebceuf  comes  up.  General 


1G2 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


Changarnier,  speaking  of  the  brush  that  had  taken  place,  says,  smiling, 
to  those  who  surround  him,  “  These  are  Prussians,  who  wished  to  compliment 
the  Emperor  on  his  fete.”  A  bouquet  for  a  sovereign  it  maybe,  but  a  dan¬ 
gerous  bouquet,  and  one  which  would  have  been  kept  far  from  the  Imperial 
quarters  if  a  better  look-out  had  been  kept.  But  it  is  always  the  same 
story.  We  keep  no  watch,  and  allow  ourselves  to  be  surprised  by  an  enemy 
whose  vigilance  is  extraordinary.  Changarnier  mounts  his  horse,  not  with¬ 
out  difficulty,  for  his  right  leg  seems  to  be  paralyzed.  He  wears  the  uni¬ 
form  of  a  general  of  division.  The  cannonade  is  heard  in  the  distance. 

Eight  o'clock.  —  We  go  forward  across  the  army,  ranged  in  order  of  battle 
right  and  left,  and  occupying  strong  positions.  I  could  not  be  better  placed 
either  for  seeing  or  receiving  information.  At  half-past  eight,  five  sharp¬ 
shooters  bring  in  seven  scouts  who  were  taken  in  a  neighboring  wood. 
They  were  quite  proud  of  their  success,  and  cried  out  as  they  passed, 
“  soyez  tranquilles,  we  shall  nip  others.” 

At  nine  we  pass  Moulins-les-Metz.  Our  troops  are  posted  on  the  sur¬ 
rounding  heights.  The  cannon  begins  to  sing.  At  half-past  nine  we  enter 
MaisonrNeuve,  and  continue  by  a  mountain  road  as  far  as  Point-du-Jour, 
where  the  Emperor  has  fixed  his  headquarters. 

Ten  o'clock.  —  From  Point-du-Jour  there  is  a  splendid  panorama.  Here 
is  Rezonville,  with  its  tufted  woods  and  its  rich  dale;  Gravelotte,  command¬ 
ing  the  valley  of  La  Mance ;  and  behind  us  Metz,  whose  cathedral  stands 
like  a  piece  of  lace  on  an  azure  ground.  The  tall  chimneys  of  mills  are 
seen  ;  here  and  there  the  spires  of  churches,  and  some  hamlets  lighted  up  by 
the  sun’s  rays.  The  hill  we  have  ascended,  and  at  the  extremity  of  which 
we  now  are,  is  called  Des  Genivaux.  All  around  this  the  battle  will  take 
place  —  is  taking  place,  for  the  Guards  are  struggling  with  the  enemy  along 
the  whole  line.  The  artillerymen  catch  the  fire  of  battle,  and  hearing  the 
discharges  in  the  distance,  they  say  in  their  strong  language,  “  We  gave 
them  a  smashing  yesterday  at  St.  Julien  ;  we  shall  give  them  a  smashing  of 
another  kind  to-day.”  -  The  troops  are  full  of  firmness  and  ardor.  One 
sees  that  they  do  not  consider  themselves  beaten,  and  that,  confident  m  their 
courage,  they  are  sure  of  victory,  if  well  commanded. 

“  I  sit  on  the  grass  to  begin  this  letter,  which  will  reach  you  God  knows 
when.  It  is  the  first  time  I  have  written  in  the  midst  of  a  cannonade,  and 
in  a  field.  Yet  it  seems  as  though  I  was  never  more  comfortably  placed. 
One  gets  accustomed  to  everything.  Marshal  Canrobert  leaves  headquar¬ 
ters.  The  Emperor  has  taken  a  seat  on  a  stone  at  the  edge  of  the  plateau, 
and  looks  down  into  the  valley.”  He  looks  so  sad  • — like  a  general  de¬ 
feated. 

Gravelotte,  one  o'  clock. —  Our  troops  hold  the  valley  of  the 
Marne,  and  the  surrounding  heights.  A  column  of  voltigeurs  of  the  Guard 
which  convoys  us  takes  possession  of  a  meadow  ;  they  bring  in  right  and  left 
dead  branches,  and  kindle  fires  to  cook  their  soup.  Will  they  have  time  to 
finish  their  meal  ?  I  doubt  it,  for  I  am  told  we  are  to  march  immediately. 
Some  cannon  shots  on  our  left,  fired,  no  doubt,  by  the  Prussians  to  bring 
us  to  the  edge  of  the  wood.  But  we  know  their  trick  now. 

The  opinion  of  those  who  surround  me  is,  that  the  Prussians  will  attack 
towards  three  or  four  o’clock,  as  is  their  custom,  and  if  they  fail,  will  en¬ 
deavor  to  surprise  us  to-morrow  morning,  as  they  did  this  morning,  know- 
ing  by  experience  that  we  do  not  keep  a  sharp  look-out.  Our  mitrailleuses 
are  scattered  over  a  vast  extent  of  ground,  and  our  artillery  continues  to 


MARS-LA-TOUR,  AUGUST  16. 


103 


occupy  the  most  elevated  positions.  It  strikes  me  that  we  weaken  our  lines 
by  extending  them  too  much.  Marshal  Bazaine  has  just  arrived,  and  has 
had  an  interview  with  the  Emperor.  He  starts  for  Moulins  or  Longueville. 

Three  o'clock.  —  An  express  rides  by  at  full  gallop,  telling  us  that 
Canrobert’s  divisions  have  been  attacked  by  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  and 
that  we  had  the  advantage.  Supporting  artillery  has  been  sent  in  haste 
from  this  side.  Line  regiments  follow.  They  have  a  swaggering  air  — 
these  dusty  little  soldiers,  bronzed  by  the  heat,  and  heaped  together  from 
fatigue.  They  inquire,  “  Where  is  the  enemy?”  “'Down  there,”  we  reply. 
“  We  long  to  meet  the  cowards  face  to  face,”  is  their  spirited  remark.  Ces 
laches-la.  This  is  the  way  in  which  our  soldiers  speak  of  the  Prussians. 
No  ;  this  war  of  wolves,  this  war  of  trappers,  this  war  of  ambuscades,  is  not 
ours.  We  do  not  hide  ourselves  in  order  to  fight  the  enemy  ;  we  present 
our  breasts  exposed,  our  heads  erect.  We  can  fight,  we  cannot  assassinate. 

Tuesday,  August  16.  —  Mars-la-Tour,' the  fifth  great  battle 
of  the  war,  fought.  The  entire  French  Army  of  the  Rhine  re¬ 
pulsed  by  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  and  driven  back  on  Grave- 
lotte.  Sortie  from  Strasburg  defeated.  Fortress  Marsal  cap¬ 
tured  by  Bavarian  troops.  Pont-a-Mousson  the  King’s  head¬ 
quarters. 

The  army  of  Bazaine  is  in  position  right  and  left  from  Rezonville,  a  town 
nine  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Metz,  with  outposts  towards  Mars-la-Tour, 
five  miles  further.  Plis  lines  cover  the  two  southern  roads  to  Verdun,  ex¬ 
tending  from  Doncourt  nearly  to  the  Moselle.  Doncourt  is  on  the  north¬ 
ern  branch  of  the  Verdun  road,  and  about  fifteen  miles  from  Metz.  With 
the  exception  of  the  Imperial  Guards,  all  the  French  troops  have  now  suf¬ 
fered  heavy  disaster.  The  whole  army  is  pervaded  with  the  demoralization 
of  defeat.  Southern  Alsace  is  abandoned,  and  there  is  no  army  there  to 
act  for  the  relief  of  Strasburg.  The  advance  guard  of  Prince  Frederick 
Charles,  which  has  been  hurrying  forward  by  forced  marches  from  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  reaches  the  southernmost  Verdun  road,  near  Mars-la- 
Tour,  and  attacks  the  left  wing  of  the  French  army.  General  Von  Al- 
vensleben,  with  the  Third  Corps,  opens  the  conflict,  and  a  bloody  battle, 
with  divisions  from  all  the  corps  under  Bazaine’ s  command,  is  gradually  de¬ 
veloped  as  the  troops  on  each  side  come  up.  The  Fifth  German  Division 
(General  Stiilpnagel)  fought  from  nine  A. M.  until  three  P.M.  without  sup¬ 
ports.  Then  the  Tenth  Corps,  the  Seventeenth  Division  of  the  Ninth 
Corps,  and  the  Hessian  Twenty-fifth  Division,  one  after  the  other,  came 
up,  and  after  six  hours  more  the  defeat  of  the  French  was  complete.  The 
positions  they  had  occupied  were  in  the  hands  of  the  Germans.  They  lost 
2000  prisoners,  among  whom  were  two  generals,  and  seven  guns.  The 
French  General  Le  Grand  was  killed ;  he  was  commander  of  a  cavalry  di¬ 
vision,  Fourth  Corps. 


1G4 


THE  FRA  JVC  O-PRUSSIAH  WAR. 


M  A  RS-LA-T  OUR. 
bazaine’ s  reports. 

To  the  Minister  of  War  :  Metz,  August  16. 

This  morning  (at  nine)  the  army  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles  di¬ 
rected  a  spirited  attack  against  the  left  wing  of  our  position.  The  Cavalry 
Division  (Torton)  and  the  Second  Corps  (Frossard)  maintained  a  stout  re¬ 
sistance  to  the  attack.  The  corps,  which  were  placed  in  echelon  right  and 
left  from  Rezonville,  appeared  gradually  upon  the  battle-field,  and  took  part 
in  the  combat,  which  continued  until  nightfall.  The  enemy  had  deployed 
heavy  masses  of  men,  and  attempted  several  attacks,  which  were  stoutly  re¬ 
pulsed.  Towards  evening  appeared  a  new  army  corps  (Steinmetz’s),  which 
attempted  to  cut  off  our  left  wing.  We  have  everywhere  maintained  our  posi¬ 
tion,  and  inflicted  heavy  losses  upon  the  enemy  ;  our  losses  are  also  great. 
At  the  moment  when  the  battle  raged  at  its  height,  a  regiment  of  uhlans  at¬ 
tacked  the  general  staff  of  the  Marshal ;  twenty  men  of  the  escort  were  put 
hors de  combat,  the  captain  commanding  killed.  At  eight  o’clock  the  en¬ 
emy  was  repulsed  on  the  whole  line.  Bazaine. 

Camp  Bon  St.  Martin,  August  16. 
To  His  Majesty  the  Emperor,  Chalons  Camp  : 

The  army  fought  all  day  yesterday  in  its  positions  of  St.  Privat  and  Roz- 
erieulles,  and  has  maintained  them.  The  Fourth  and  Sixth  Corps  only 
made,  at  about  nine  P.  M.,  a  change  of  front,  the  right  wing  in  the  rear, 
to  guard  against  a  turning  of  the  right  flank,  which  the  masses  of  the  enemy 
attempted,  with  the  assistance  of  the  darkness.  This  morning  I  moved  the 
Second  and  Third  Corps  from  their  positions,  and  the  army  is  again  con¬ 
centrated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Moselle,  from  Longueville  to  Sausonnet, 
forming  a  curved  line  passing  over  the  height  of  Bau  St.  Martin  in  rear  of 
Forts  St.  Quentin  and  Plappeville.  The  troops  are  wearied  with  inces¬ 
sant  combats,  and  it  is  indispensable  to  let  them  rest  for  two  or  three  days. 
The  King  of  Prussia  was  at  Rezonville  this  morning  with  M.  Von  Moltke, 
and  everything  indicates  that  the  Prussian  army  is  about  to  attack  the 
fortress  of  Metz.  I  reckon  confidently  on  taking  a  northern  direction,  and 
on  pursuing  afterwards  by  Montmedy  on  the  road  to  St.  Menehold  and 
Chalons,  if  it  is  not  occupied  in  force.  In  this  case  I  will  go  on  upon  Se¬ 
dan,  and  even  Mezieres,  to  reach  Chalons.  There  are  in  Metz  700  prison¬ 
ers,  who  will  become  an  embarrassment  to  the  place  in  case  of  a  siege.  I 
am  about  to  propose  an  exchange  to  General  Von  Moltke  for  a  like  num¬ 
ber  of  French  officers  and  soldiers. 

Bazaine. 


KING  WILLIAM  TO  THE  QUEEN. 

To  the  Queen  :  Pont-a-Mousson,  August  16. 

The  battle  took  place  at  Mars-la-Tour.  We  took  2000  pris¬ 
oners,  seventeen  guns,  and  two  eagles.  Wilhelm. 

GERMAN  OFFICIAL  ACCOUNT. 

At  nine  o’clock  Lieutenant-General  Alvensleben  advanced  with  the  Third 


MARS-LA-TOUR,  AUGUST  16. 


165 


Army  Corps  westward  of  Metz,  on  the  road  to  the  enemy’s  retreat  towards 
Verdun.  A  bloody  fight  took  place  between  the  divisions  of  Generals  De 
Caen,  L’Admirault,  Frossard,  Canrobert,  the  Imperial  Guard  and  the  Tenth 
Corps  successively,  supported  by  portions  of  the  Eighth  and  Ninth  Corps, 
under  command  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles.  Notwithstanding  the  great 
superiority  of  the  enemy,  they  were  driven  back  to  Metz,  after  a  hot  fight 
lasting  twelve  hours.  The  loss  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  on  both 
sides  is  very  considerable  ;  on  our  side,  Generals  Von  Doering  and  Von 
Wedel  have  been  killed,  and  Generals  Von  Rauet  and  Von  Grueter 
wounded. 

His  Majesty  the  King  greeted  the  troops  to-day  on  the  field  of  battle, 
which  they  had  victoriously  maintained.  Von  Verdy. 


BATTLE  OF  MARS-LA-TOUR. 

To-day  the  French  Army  of  the  Rhine  gave  and  lost  a  great 
battle.  For  the  first  time  since  the  commencement  of  the  war 
the  French  army  proper  was  pitted  against  a  Prussian  force. 
At  Woerth  and  Saarbriick  only  the  army  corps  of  MacMahon, 
Douay,  De  Failly,  and  Frossard  were  severally  engaged.  At 
Mars-la-Tour  the  Imperial  Guard  (Bourbaki)  and  the  three 
army  corps  of  De  Caen,  L’Admirault,  Canrobert,  and  Frossard 
were  fighting  under  the  command  of  Bazaine  (untrammelled  by 
the  Emperor),  from  nine  in  the  morning  until  nightfall. 

The  battle  was  fought  between  the  triangle  formed  by  Mars- 
la-Tour,  Gorze,  and  Gravelotte,  and  along  the  road  leading 
from  Metz  to  Verdun  via  Gravelotte,  Rezonville,  Vionville,  and 
Mars-la-Tour.  The  hardest  fighting  occurred  between  Gorze 
and  Rezonville. 

THE  ATTACK  WAS  A  MISTAKE. 

It  was  supposed  Bazaine  had  made  good  his  retreat  from 
Metz,  and  that  the  troops  in  front  were  the  rear  guard  of 
the  French  army.  Prince  Charles  was  at  Pontdt-Mousson,  six¬ 
teen  miles  from  the  battle-field.  His  advance  guard  were  hur¬ 
rying  forward  to  the  Verdun  road.  Between  Gorze  and  Mars- 
la-Tour  were  marching  three  regiments  of  cavalry.  Marching 
behind  them  at  a  double-quick  were  nine  regiments  of  infantry 
and  fifteen  batteries  belonging  to  the  Third  Corps  (General  Al- 


1G6 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  JVAR. 


venslebcn).  There  were  also  a  few  regiments  of  hussars  and 
lancers,  and  a  division  from  the  Tenth  Corps  (General  Von 
Voigts  Rhetz).  The  French  Army  of  the  Rhine  was  in  front. 

THE  COMMENCEMENT. 

At  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning  the  Wiehen  Red  hussars 
dashed  against  a  squadron  of  French.  There  was  a  hot  fire  of 
infantry,  and  a  hundred  horses  dashed  riderless  over  the  field. 
It  came  like  a  flash  of  lightning,  and  then,  like  deep  thunder, 
the  French  batteries  opened  on  the  astonished  Prussians.  The 
Prussians  faltered  a  moment,  but  did  not  retreat.  They  did 
not  think  that  Frossard,  De  Caen,  Canrobert,  Bourbaki,  and 
L’Admirault  were  ready  to  pounce  down  upon  them — 130,000, 
against  80,000. 

With  his  guns  and  mitrailleuses  posted  on  the  hills  com¬ 
manding  the  plain  on  which  the  Prussians  were,  the  enemy  pre¬ 
sented  an  aspect  which  might  well  have  staggered  the  stoutest 
heart.  But  the  Prussians  knew  their  duty,  and  in  their  busi¬ 
ness-like,  matter-of-course  way  determined  to  do  it.  Finding 
themselves 

“PITTED  AGAINST  SUCH  SUPERIOR  NUMBERS,” 

they  easily  discerned  that  if  they  had  any  prospect  of  escaping 
destruction  it  lay  in  boldly  assuming  the  offensive.  If  they 
could  but  put  themselves  in  possession  of  the  rising  ground  on 
which  the  enemy  had  placed  his  camp,  they  might  perhaps  be 
able  to  hold  out  until  Prince  Charles  should  come  with  the  Sec¬ 
ond  and  Ninth  Corps  from  Pont-a-Mousson. 

“Forward,  Brandenburgers  !  ”  shouted  Alvensleben.  And 
5000  cavalry  went  clattering  in  among  the  French.  In  ten 
minutes  the  first  French  camp  was  captured,  and  with  it  600 
Zouaves  and  Turcos.  Now  came  the  conflict.  It  was  Burnside 
and  the  old  Ninth  at  Antietam  bridge  over  again.  The  Prus¬ 
sians  established  themselves  in  the  French  quarters.  The 
ground  offered  an  advantage.  Thus  they  stood  and  battled  for 
nearly  eight  hours.  Six  times  they  were  charged  by  the  Im¬ 
perial  Guard ;  six  times  they  repulsed  the  attack  ;  and,  pursuing 
the  enemy  in  their  turn,  drove  him  from  position  to  position. 
One  after  the  other,  the  corps  of  Generals  Frossard,  Canrobert, 
De  Caen,  L’Admirault,  and  the  Second  Division  of  General 


MARS-LA-TOUR,  AUGUST  1 6. 


107 


Failly  were  forced  to  give  way  before  the  Prussian  onslaught. 
But  their  triumph  was  dearly  bought  by  the  gallant  band. 

UNDER  THE  TELLING  FIRE 

of  the  enemy,  they  had  suffered  grievously  from  the  first.  Grad¬ 
ually  their  numbers  were  more  and  more  reduced  ;  at  last  they 
were  so  few,  and  these  so  tired,  that  the  French  could  venture 
to  attack  their  guns.  Once  more  they  warded  off  the  charge, 
knowing  they  could  not  do  so  again.  Yet  they  saw  the  enemy 
massing  his  columns  in  the  distance  for  a  last,  a  decisive  at¬ 
tempt. 

The  day  was  growing  dark  for  Alvensleben.  Where  is 
Prince  Charles  ?  Wellington 

PRAYED  “ FOR  NIGHT  OR  BLUCHER  :  ” 

Alvensleben  prayed  for  night  or  Prince  Charles.  Thunder  ! 
went  the  Ninth  Corps’  cannon  off  to  the  right,  —  and  a  long, 
glad  shout  was  heard  above  the  din  of  battle  as  the  puffs  of 
smoke  from  Prince  Charles’  musketry  were  seen  to  the  right. 
His  coming  was  like  the  coming  of  Sheridan  at  Winchester  ; 
for,  eager  to  share  the  dangers  and  gain  the  laurels  of  that  great 
day,  Prince  Charles,  Sheridan-like,  had  ridden  sixteen  miles, 
from  Pont-a-Mousson.  He  threw  two  divisions  of  the  Ninth 
Corps  against  the  French  left,  and  in  a  moment  he  stood  with 
Alvensleben  and  assumed  supreme  command  of  the  Second 
German  army. 

THE  BATTLE  WARMS. 

Von  Voigts  Rhetz,  with  the  Tenth  Corps,  had  been  fighting 
toward  the  Verdun  road.  Alvensleben  knew  not  precisely 
where,  but  he  could  hear  his  guns.  Prince  Charles,  on  his 
dripping  horse,  was  just  giving  orders  to  his  brother-in-law, 
Duke  Wilhelm  of  Mecklenburg,  who  had  led  the  cavalry 
charge,  when  Von  Voigts  Rhetz  and  the  Tenth  Hanover  Corps 
filed  into  view.  They  were  needed  immediately ;  and  off  to 
the  French  right  flank  they  went  at  a  double-quick.  They 
made  a  bloody  assault  towards  Rezonville,  but  the  French  met 
their  advance  without  flinching.  L’Admirault  had  chosen  a 
strong  position  for  the  French  right. 


16S 


THE  FRANCO-PR  U SSI  AH  WAR. 


INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH. 

To  assist  the  Prussian  Tenth  Corps.  Von  Voigts  Rhetz  called 
upon  the  cavalry  of  General  Von  Bredow  and  Von  Rheinbaben. 
It  was  a  case  of  life  and  death  to  storm  infantry  and  artillery 
with  cavalry,  but  it  had  to  be  done.  The  French  position 
must  be  taken.  Von  Bredow  responded  quickly;  and  with  a 
rush  went  two  divisions  of  cuirassiers  and  lancers  in  amongst 
the  French  gunners.*  The  brave  Hanoverian  cavalry  fought 
worthy  of  the  military  renown  of  their  race,  but  alas  !  it  was  of 
no  avail.  Decimated,  but  not  defeated,  they  were  compelled 


*  Count  Schmettow,  the  major  in  the  Halberstadt  cuirassiers,  has  written  the  following 
account  of  the  fatal  cavalry  charge  at 

MARS-LA-TOUR  I 

“Etain  (near  Verdun)  August  22. 

“  I  will  give  you  herewith  what  I  can  state  as  positively  certain  up  to  this  point.  I  have 
delayed,  as  persons  reported  dead  have  in  some  instances  appeared  alive. 

“The  French  cuirassiers  could  only  succeed  in  taking  men  prisoners  after  they  had  been 
wounded,  or  after  their  regiment,  in  its  heroic  ride,  had  broken  through  two  batteries  and 
two  infantry  columns.  I  quite  agree  that  a  commander  would  be  inexcusable  in  leading 
his  troops  into  such  a  mess  unless  there  were  the  most  urgent  reasons.  But  such  was  the 
case  in  the  present  instance.  Colonel  Von  Voigts  Rhetz,  Chief  of  the  Staff  of  the  Third 
Corps  d’Armee,  came  to  our  Brigadier,  Von  Bredow,  whom  we  have  on  every  occasion 
been  accustomed  to  see  in  the  thick  of  it,  and  said  :  ‘  General,  in  concert  with  General 
Von  Rheinbaben,  commander  of  the  cavalry  division,  the  Commanding-general  has  de¬ 
cided  that  you  must  break  through  .at  the  wood,  and  you  are  still  standing  quietly  here/ 
General  Von  Bredow  replied,  ‘Am  I  to  understand  that  cavalry  is  to  break  through  in¬ 
fantry  and  artillery  here  by  the  wood?’  ‘ Certainly,’ was  the  answer  ;  Sve  have  already 
taken  the  hamlet,  but  cannot  reach  the  wood  ;  so  the  issue  of  the  battle  depends  upon  your 
clearing  away  everything  along  the  forest.  You  must  attack,  and  with  the  utmost  energy.* 
So  you  see  we  had  got  to  do  it.  We  formed  two  divisions,  the  cuirassier  regiment  on  the 
left  wing  along  the  edge  of  the  wood,  the  lancer  regiment  on  the  right  wing  and  one  hun¬ 
dred  paces  farther  back.  Our  brave  General,  with  his  staff  of  four  officers,  three  of  whom 
he  lost,  was  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  cuirassiers.  Before  the  French  battery  had  dis¬ 
charged  its  third  gun,  we  were  masters  of  it.  The  honor  of  challenging  the  French  com¬ 
mander  l  could  not  leave  to  another,  and  I  rather  think  I  found  him.  It  was  clear  to  me 
that  in  this  death-ride  the  object  was  not  to  bring  home  trophies,  but  to  strike  down  every¬ 
thing  between  the  wood  and  the  road.  At  the  battery  all  were  put  to  the  sword,  and  then 
we  went  in  tearing  course  at  an  infantry  column,  which  was  ridden  over,  and  cut  down. 
Its  remnants  sent  a  good  many  shots  after  us.  At  this  time  the  lancers  were  close  on  our 
heels.  A  second  battery  was  attacked,  and  all  who  did  not  run  put  to  the  sword.  Then, 
as  many  as  were  left  of  us  made  for  a  second  infantry  column.  Just  before  reaching  it, 
two  squadrons  of  French  cuirassiers  wheeled  from  a  woody  hollow  into  the  gaps  of  our  lit¬ 
tle  handful,  and  after  the  last  infantry  column  had  been  ridden  down,  we  wheeled  to  the 
right  and  rushed  back.  By  this  time  we  were  pell-mell  with  the  French  horse.  Before 
the  battery  I  received  two  shots,  which  went  through  my  helmet,  without,  however,  touch¬ 
ing  me.  The  adjutant,  hit  by  two  bullets,  fell  from  his  horse  ;  one  trumpeter  was  shot 
down,  the  horse  of  the  other  wounded.  I  was  just  speaking  with  Captain  Heister  when 
he  also  fell.  Lieutenant  Campbell  was  for  a  while  by  my  side,  until,  in  the  attempt  to  tear 
away  from  the  French  cuirassiers  the  standard  he  had  seized  with  his  left  hand,  he  was 
fearfully  maltreated.  Some  one  helped  him  to  cut  his  way  out.  I  never  shall  forget  my 
ordering  the  first  trumpeter  I  found,  nearly  on  the  same  spot  where  we  set  out  on  our  ride 
of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  German  mile,  to  blow  the  regimental  signal.  The  trumpets  had 
been  bored  through  by  shots,  and  a  sound  came  out  that  pierced  me  to  the  quick.  At  my 
call,  three  sections  out  of  the  eleven  (three  had  been  detached)  assembled.  A  gloomy  biv¬ 
ouac  followed.  Two  days  after,  we  were  again  under  fire.  The  regiment  lost  seven  offi¬ 
cers  and  206  men  (of  600).  It  is  authentically  reported  that  all  the  officers  are  in  our 
own  hospitals.  Captain  Meyer  and  Color-bearer  Von  Stockhausen  were  buried  on  the  bat¬ 
tle-field. ** 


MARS-LA-  TO  UR,  AUGUST  1 6. 


109 


to  return.  Led  by  a  brave  general,  who  lost  three  out  of  four 
of  his  staff,  a  moment  victorious,  and  then  to  die  or  return  ! 

The  battle  now  remained  stationary  for  two  hours.  It  was 
the  assault  of  Spicheren  hill  over  again.  Then  it  took  27,000 
Prussians  to  carry  the  heights. 

The  wonder  is,  not  that  it  took  the  Prussians  seven  hours  to 
take  it,  but  that  they  ever  got  it  at  all.  The  woods  above 
Gorze  extend  to  within  about  two  miles  of  Gravelotte,  behind 
which  village  the  French  lay  in  the  morning,  as  also  at  Rezon- 
ville,  another  village  higher  up  on  the  road  from  Metz  to  Ver¬ 
dun.  Nearly  the  whole  of  the  Prussian  position  was  backed  by 
the  thick  woods.  The  plain  on  which  the  battle  was  fought 
extends  from  the  woods  to  the  Verdun  road,  about  one  mile 
and  a  half,  and  is  about  three  miles  in  length.  On  the  French 
right  the  ground  rises  gently,  and  this  was  the  key  of  the  posi¬ 
tion,  as  the  artillery,  which  could  maintain  itself  there,  swept 
the  whole  field.  In  the  centre  of  the  field  is  the  road  from 
Gorze  to  Rezonville  and  Gravelotte,  joining  the  main  road  ^o 
Verdun  between  the  two  villages. 

It  was  now  three  o’clock.  The  Tenth  Corps  had  been  under 
fire  since  eight  in  the  morning.  The  French  still  held  that  fear¬ 
ful  line  of  hills;  yes,  even  more  —  it  looked  as  if  L’Admirault 
was  about  to  assume  the  defensive.  The  Prussian  Third  and 
Tenth  Corps  began  to  waver.  One  impetuous  advance  of  the 
French  might  bring  on  consternation  and  defeat.  The  Second 
Corps  (Fansecki’s)  was  expected  every  moment.  What  was  to 
be  done?  In  this  critical  emergency  there  seemed  to  be  nothing 
left  but  to  let  loose  the  cavalry  again,  and  send  it  right  into 
the  jaws  of  the  hostile  battalions.  To  be  sure,  to  let  cavalry 
charge  against  the  chassepot,  and  that  at  a  distance  permitting 
of  several  rounds  being  fired  against  them,  would  be  to  sacrifice 
vast  numbers,  without,  perhaps,  producing  anything  like  an 
adequate  result.  In  point  of  fact,  it  would  be  doing  a  thing 
regarded  as  absurd,  if  not  absolutely  impossible,  by  modern 
military  science.  But  necessity  knows  no  law.  The  attack 
8 


170 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AH  WAR. 


was  ordered  and  executed.  Two  regiments  of  dragoon  guards 
and  one  regiment  of  cuirassiers,  the  whole  forming  a  column 
of  1900,  rode  against  the  enemy,  a  thundering  block  of  steel. 
Decimated  long  before  they  could  flash  their  swords,  their  shat¬ 
tered  remnants  sufficed  to  cut  down  or  disperse  whole  battalions. 
Then,  attacked  in  their  turn  by  Chasseurs  d’Afrique,  and  im¬ 
mediately  rescued  by  their  own  swift  hussars,  they  again  cut  a 
path  for  themselves  into  the  enemy’s  ranks,  and  actually  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  preventing  his  contemplated  assault.  Shortly  after 
this  repetition  of  the  Balaklava  exploit,  two  divisions  of  the 
Ninth  Corps  came  into  view,  and  a  messenger  flew  forward 
with  the  report  that  Steinmetz  was  fighting  on  the  Prussian 
right  toward  the  Moselle  and  the  wood  of  Vaux.  The  “  Lion 
of  Skalitz  !  ”  Prince  Charles  breathed  freer. 

BOTH  ARMIES  ENGAGED. 

At  four  p.m.,  all  the  French  and  Prussian  forces  were  en¬ 
gaged.  Frossard,  L’Admirault,  Canrobert,  Bourbaki,  and  De 
Caen  formed  a  chain  around  Rezonville,  extending  from  the 
(jorze  to  the  Verdun  road. 

At  five  p.  m.,  the  Prussian  line  was  drawing  closer  and 
closer.  The  battle  surged  around  the  lovely  little  villages  that 
nestled  in  these  valleys,  and  the  long  lines  of  poplar  trees  that 
crossed  the  battle-fields  appeared  only  to  grow  the  gloomier  as 
the  dark  smoke  of  battle  curled  lazily  among  their  branches. 
The  French,  feeling  that  the  glory  of  France  and  her  safety 
depended  upon  them,  fought  like  demons.  As  they  were  driven 
back  inch  by  inch,  they  took  cover,  and  the  long  lines  and 
heaps  of  German  horse,  foot,  and  artillery  told  that  France 
only  yielded  an  inch  of  territory  when  it  was  saturated  with 
German  blood.  Nothing  but  the  most  desperate  resolve  on 
the  part  of  the  German  troops  drove  the  French  from  their 
lines.  At  one  moment  it  was  very  doubtful  if  the  overwhelming 
columns  of  the  German  army  corps  were  not  being  dashed  to 
pieces,  like  waves  against  a  rock.  The  fighting  was  magnificent. 
France  yielded  her  glories  under  the  same  terrific  pressure  by 
which  she  won  them. 


MARS-LA-TOUR,  AUGUST  16. 


171 


L’Admirault  still  held  the  French  right,  like  serried  granite, 
against  the  Prussian  fire.  Prince  Charles  saw  the  position 
must  be  taken.  It  was  an  encounter  fearful  to  undertake.  An 
assault  was  feigned  by  the  Ninth  Corps  in  the  centre,  while 
simultaneously  the  Forty-fifth,  Sixty-seventh,  Sixty-ninth,  and 
the  other  regiments  were  ordered  to  advance  on  the  fortified 
heights  on  the  French  right.  This  was  the  key  of  the  position, 
—  hence  the  number  of  men  (15,000)  sent  against  it  at  once. 

VICTORY  TO  PRUSSIA. 

The  French,  knowing  how  vitally  important  it  was  to  keep 
possession  of  the  hill  on  their  road,  as  soon  as  their  troops  be¬ 
gan  to  fall  back  in  the  woods,  had  thrown  up  a  hastily-made 
earthwork  to  shelter  their  infantry  lying  down.  Behind  them 
the  Sixty-second  Regiment  of  the  Line  lay,  with  several  bat¬ 
teries  of  artillery  firing  over  their  heads.  The  Prussians  came 
up  the  slope,  but  were  several  times  repulsed,  and  it  was  not 
till  after  thirteen  hours’  fighting  that  they  drove  the  French 
from  the  heights,  and  their  own  artillery  was  dragged  up  then. 
As  battery  after  battery  of  Krupp  guns  clambered  up  the  height, 
the  gunners  using  their  spurs  and  cutting  whips  freely,  it  was 
all  over  with  the  French,  and,  however  bravely  they 
might  fight  (and  the  Prussians  all  allow  their  enemies  fought 
splendidly),  they  must  ultimately  give  way.  The  French  bat¬ 
teries,  driven  from  their  first  position,  retired  to  the  hill  on  their 
right,  and  a  regular  artillery  duel  took  place  between  their  bat¬ 
teries  and  those  of  the  Prussians  on  their  recently-conquered 
hill. 

The  report  about  Steinmetz  proved  trae.  His  Eighth  Corps 
had  crossed  the  Moselle  at  Ars,  and  was  now  flanking  the 
French  left  at  Vaux.  As  Goeben’s  artillery  thundered  against 
the  French,  hope  died  with  Bazaine.  It  was  no  longer  an  even 
fight,  for  160,000  Prussians  were  in  front  ! 

Not  until  after  six  o’clock,  when,  some  Rhenish  regiments 
coming  up,  the  Germans  were  no  longer  so  very  much  outnum¬ 
bered  in  front,  did  the  scale  of  victory  begin  to  incline  in 


172 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


their  favor.  Eventually  a  general  charge  forced  the  enemy, 
already  frightened  by  Steinmetz,  to  fall  back,  hotly  pursued  by 
the  Hanoverian  horse  and  artillery.  As  usual  in  a  French 
retreat,  confusion  now  ensued,  and  rapidly  assumed  a  degree 
out  of  proportion  to  the  defeat  sustained.  But  for  the  vicinity 
of  Metz  and  the  protection  it  afforded  to  the  discomfited 
troops,  there  might  have  been  another  disaster  like  that  of 
Worth.  This  was  avoided  by  the  nearness  of  the  detached 
forts  ;  but  from  a  military  point  of  view,  retreat  to  Metz,  whence 
there  is  no  escape,  was  perhaps  even  less  eligible  than  flight  to 
Paris,  however  precipitate  and  calamitous. 

THE  DAY  OF  MARS-LA-TOUR 

has  cost  Germany  almost  twice  as  many  men  in  killed  and 
wounded  as  the  day  of  Koniggratz. 

You  cannot  call  this  day’s  struggle  “terrible”  or  “awful.” 
The  Prussian  captures — 36  officers  and  3000  men  — have  not 
been  great,  but  more  have  been  killed.  There  is  no  word  for 
such  dreadful  havoc  as  this  day  has  made.  The  French  losses 
have  been  severe  ;  but  the  most  fearful  slaughter  has  been  on 
the  side  of  the  Prussians.  The  ground  chosen  by  the  French 
had  many  advantages,  and  their  splendid  position  told  fearfully 
upon  the  advancing  Prussians.  Their  advance  was  the  “life 
in  death  ”  advance  of  Lee  at  Gettysburg. 

DETAILS. 

Some  regiments  have  fared  badly.  The  Twelfth  Infantry 
(German)  lost  61  officers  of  the  69  it  had,  and  1500  rank  and 
file  of  the  3000  forming  its  full  complement.  The  Forty-seventh, 
almost  equally  unfortunate,  had  47  officers  and  1400  men  re¬ 
moved  from  the  ranks ;  the  Sixty-fourth,  41  officers  and  1000 
men  ;  the  Seventy-second,  about  30  officers,  13  of  whom  are 
dead,  and  1000  men.  Gloomiest  of  all  seems  to  have  been  the 
doom  of  the  Twenty-fourth,  which  is  said  to  have  been  deprived 
of  2000  men  and  nearly  all  its  officers.  Of  the  Dragoon  Guards 
we  know  for  certain  that  one-half  the  rank  and  file  are  dead  or 
wounded.  Nearly  all  their  officers  are  gone,  or  in  a  critical 
condition. 

Fearful  has  been  the  slaughter  of  fathers  and  sons  and  bride¬ 
grooms.  In  a  day  or  two,  fathers  and  brothers  and  brides  will 
be  leaving  in  shoals  for  the  front,  to  fetch  the  corpses  of  their  be- 


MARS-LA-TOUR,  AUGUST  16. 


173 


loved  ones.  The  day’s  battle  could  not  have  killed  and  wounded 
less  than  20,000  Prussians.  An  official  German  report  shows 
that  there  were  626  officers  and  15,925  men  placed  hors  de  com¬ 
bat.  Eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-two  horses  were  lost,  not  in¬ 
cluding  those  of  several  South  German  cavalry  regiments. 
Alas  !  at  the  name  of  Mars-la-Tour  many  a  heart  will  ache  for 
many  a  year  to  come  ! 

APART  FROM  THE  MELANCHOLY  INTEREST 

attaching  to  so  fearful  a  collision,  as  a  historian,  the  author 
holds  up  the  records  of  this  battle  as  affording  a  standard  for 
appreciating  the  relative  value  of  the  contending  armies.  At 
Mars-la-Tour  the  French,  for  the  first  time  in  the  entire  course 
of  this  momentous  war,  engaged  the  Germans  in  a  fair  stand-up 
fight.  Until  this  action,  the  French,  having  always  had  time  to 
choose  their  ground,  had  either  stationed  themselves  high  on 
hills  or  dug  themselves  into  rifle-pits,  or,  as  usual,  combin¬ 
ing  both  advantages,  lined  the  upper  part  of  mountainous  slopes 
with  successive  rows  of  ditches.  But  on  this  sanguinary  1 6th, 
being  taken  by  surprise,  they  were  mostly  in  the  open  fields,  and 
obliged  to  do  battle  free  of  cover.  At  first  they  did  not  relish 
fighting  under  these  unwonted  conditions,  and  yielding  before 
their  advancing  enemy,  lost  their  camp  and  the  position  they 
had  originally  occupied.  But  soon  getting  exasperated  at  the 
reverse  sustained  at  the  hands  of  a  foe  not  half  as  strong  as 
themselves,  they  took  the  offensive  with  the  utmost  vehemence, 
and  displayed  the  elan  for  which  they  have  been  so  long  and 
so  justly  famous.  Met  with  composure,  they  eventually 
succumbed.  The  regiments  who  kept  them  at  bay  nearly  a 
whole  day  were  Brandenburgers,  the  descendants  of  the  soldiers 
of  Frederick  the  Great,  and,  it  seems,  as  imperturbable  as  their 
forefathers. 

The  Prussians  have  not  alone  displayed  all  the  valor.  The 
French  have  made  many  brilliant  charges,  in  one  of  which  Gen. 
Fe  Grand  was  killed  at  the  head  of  his  division.  Gen.  Mon¬ 
taigne  is  missing.  The  Prussian  Gens.  Doering  and  Wedel  were 
killed,  and  Gens.  Grueter  and  Von  Rauet  were  wounded. 

The  battle  was  a  drawn  game,  but  the  object  of  Prussia  — 
let  us  henceforth  say,  Germany — has  been  partly  attained,  for 
the  Army  of  the  Rhine  was  crippled,  halted,  and  forced  to  stand 
and  fight  again,  to  see  if  Chalons  or  the  fortifications  of  Metz 
were  to  be  its  resting-place. 


174 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


STRASBURG. 

August  lbth. —  The  garrison  have  just  made  a  sortie  toward 
Honheim,  but  were  driven  back  with  a  heavy  loss  of  men. 
They  also  lost  three  guns.  A  despatch  from  Carlsriihe,  the 
headquarters  of  the  Baden  army,  dated  August  14,  says  the 
people  and  garrison  of  Strasburg  have  labored  with  zeal  to  arm 
the  ramparts,  clear  the  glacis,  and  barricade  the  entrances,  but 
the  besiegers  have  destroyed  much  of  their  work. 

MARSAL. 

Fortress  Marsal,  a  small  town  a  little  north-east  of  Nancy, 
and  formerly  fortified,  has  been  captured  by  a  body  of  Bavarian 
troops,  after  a  short  bombardment.  Sixty  cannon  were  cap¬ 
tured. 

WAR  PICTURES. 

( From  M.  D.  Conway's  World  Letters.) 

Pont-A-Mousson,  August  16 th. —  There  was  never,  perhaps,  an  in¬ 
stance  in  which  a  king  took  possession  of  an  important  town  belonging  to 
an  enemy  with  so  little  display  as  attended  the  arrival  of  the  King  of  Prus¬ 
sia  at  Pont-u-Mousson.  An  old  man  in  a  common  coach,  such  as  one 
may  hire  in  Paris  on  the  street,  with  a  blue  uniform,  covered  thick  with 
white  dust — -behold  King  William  entering  the  largest  town  he  can  as  yet 
claim  as  a  trophy.  There  were,  of  course,  certain  forerunners  —  body¬ 
guard,  trumpeters,  etc. — ,who  gave  the  occasion,  in  one  sense,  some  splen¬ 
dor  ;  but  when  all  the  impressive  scenes  had  passed,  and  the  music  and  the 
cuirassiers  in  shining  armor,  it  was  almost  droll  to  see  the  dusty  King  in  his 
plain  carriage.  However,  when  the  thunderous  plaudits  of  the  soldiers 
rose  in  the  market-place  as  he  passed,  and  the  old  man  took  off  his  hat  and 
bowed,  he  showed  about  as  good-humored  and  frank  a  countenance  as  ever 
belonged  to  a  man  throwing  a  million  men  upon  a  foreign  soil.  I  have 
been  sometimes  inclined  to  think  with  poor  Jeannette  — 

“All  the  world  should  be  at  peace  ; 

And  if  kings  must  show  their  might, 

I’d  have  those  who  make  the  quarrels 
Be  the  only  ones  to  fight ;  ” 

but,  after  seeing  the  honest,  rotund,  rosy  face  of  King  William,  I  should 
really  say  that  he  would  be  personally  the  last  man  on  earth  to  make  a 
quarrel,  and  that  the  last  thing  that  any  one  could  associate  with  him  would 
be  a  duel  with  Louis  Napoleon. 

Bismarck  entered  the  city  incognito  ;  that  is,  there  was  no  parade  about 
his  entrance.  In  truth,  it  is  not  absolutely  certain  in  my  mind  at  this  mo¬ 
ment  that  it  would  have  been  safe  for  the  Count  to  have  shown  himself  in  any 
very  public  way.  Whatever  fears  his  friends  might  have  had,  he  himself 
evidently  had  none  ;  for  hardly  had  he  descended  from  his  carriage  than  he 
set  out  to  stroll  on  the  streets.  Iiow  he  came  to  be  recognized,  I  do  not 
know.  I  was  in  a  small  chocolate  shop  on  a  side  street,  when  the  word 
was  tossed  and  caught  from  door  to  door  —  and  the  people  live  now  out¬ 
side  their  front  doors  —  that  the  huge  figure  walking  along  the  street  was 
Bismarck. 

“  Bismarck  !  Bismarck  !  Bismarck  !” 


MONDA  V,  AUGUST  1 7. 


175 


Men,  women,  and  children  half  shrieked,  half  whispered  it,  and  with  pal¬ 
lor  and  agitation,  as  if  they  had  beheld  a  man  with  one  flaming  eye  in  his 
forehead,  who  drank  blood  instead  of  beer  (which  Herr  Bismarck  decidedly 
does  drink),  and  was  in  the  habit  of  supping  on  at  least  one  baby  each  even¬ 
ing.  With  wonder,  but  also  with  some  anger,  they  gazed  at  him,  as  he 
moved  along  in  the  middle  of  the  street  —  a  sort  of  European  institution. 
As  I  looked  at  him  closely,  I  conceived  an  impression  that  the  Count  has 
not  been  unmindful  of  some  recent  inventions  in  the  way  of  bullet-proof 
underclothing,  and  that  he  has  not  chosen,  since  the  attack  of  young  Blind 
upon  him,  to  submit  the  task  he  has  to  complete  a  German  Confederation 
to  the  caprices  of  the  lead  and  iron  which  are  beginning  to  fly  about  so 
rudely  just  now. 

Monday,  August  17th. —  Both  armies  exhausted,  and  resting. 
Steinmetz  and  Prince  Charles  concentrate  troops,  and  pre¬ 
pare  for  Gravelotte.  King  William  rides  seven  hours  over 
the  field  of  Mars-la-Tour.  Gen.  Trochu  appointed  Com¬ 
mander  of  Paris.  The  Emperor  and  Prince  Imperial  leave 
Chalons  for  Rheims.  Emile  Ollivier  flies  from  Paris.  He 
is  hooted  at  the  station.  General  Sheridan  a  guest  of  King 
William.  Von  Falckenstein  expostulates  with  Admiral  Fouri- 
chon  against  the  capture  of  Prussian  unarmed  merchantmen. 

ALL  QUIET  ALONG  THE  LINES. 

Pont-a-Mousson,  18th,  11.20  a.m. 

Complete  calm  prevailed  during  the  whole  of  yesterday. 
The  German  army  maintains  the  positions  gained  by  the  vic¬ 
tory  of  the  1 6th.  The  object  of  that  battle  was  completely  at¬ 
tained.  The  cavalry  of  the  Third  Corps  d’Armee  attacked  in 
the  morning,  without  waiting  for  the  support  of  the  infantry ; 
after  having  been  rejoined  by  the  latter  it  fought  for  six  hours, 
resisting  three  French  corps  and  a  part  of  the  Imperial  Guard 
until  the  evening,  when  the  Tenth  came  up  to  its  aid.  The 
cavalry  of  the  Third  attacked  with  great  vigor,  broke  the  French 
ranks  with  the  sacrifice  of  many  lives,  and  drove  back  the  ene¬ 
my  on  Metz.  Many  prisoners  have  been  taken,  including  sev¬ 
eral  officers  of  the  Imperial  Guard.  Gen.  Sheridan,  of  the 
United  States  Army,  is  at  the  King’s  headquarters. 

(Signed)  Von  Moltke. 

TROCHU  GOVERNOR  OF  PARIS. 

The  General  Trochu  is  named  Governor  of  Paris,  and  Commandant-in-Chief  of  all  the 
forces  charged  to  provide  for  the  defence  of  the  capital. 

Done  at  Chalons. 


Napoleon. 


170 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


STEINMETZ  FEELS  THE  ENEMY. 

On  the  17th  the  First  corps  was  beyond  Ars  sur  Moselle  ;  the  Eighth  and 
Ninth  Corps  were  at  Gorze,  while  the  Second  army  was  marching  rapidly 
toward  Metz,  on  the  Verdun  road.  After  the  victorious  fights  at  Vionville 
and  Flavigny,  the  task  of  the  First  army  this  day  was  to  act  as  the  right  of  all 
the  lines  of  attack,  holding  the  left  bank  of  the  Moselle,  while  the  Second 
army  moved  so  that  the  front  would  extend  from  the  north  toward  the 
east,  thus  bringing  the  First  and  Second  armies  between  Metz  and  Paris. 
On  the  1 7th  no  offensive  movement  was  made,  the  Prussians  resting  in  a 
sheltered  position  near  Gravelotte  ;  the  Seventh  Corps  contenting  itself 
with  repelling  a  slight  reconnaissance  near  the  forest  of  Vaux.  Gen.  Stein- 
rnetz,  reconnoitring  at  the  south  of  Gravelotte,  in  the  forest  of  Ognons,  dis¬ 
covered  the  enemy,  three  corps  strong,  encamped  on  the  heights  north  of 
Gravelotte.  Gen.  Steinmetz,  hearing  a  cannonade  at  Verneville,  and  hav¬ 
ing  been  falsely  advised  that  the  head  of  the  Ninth  Corps  was  engaged,  gave 
orders  to  resume  the  attack.  The  Seventh  Corps  deployed  on  the  south 
and  east  of  the  heights  of  Gravelotte.  A  formidable  artillery  practice  fol¬ 
lowed,  presenting  an  imposing  spectacle.  Fifty  cannon,  presently  augmen¬ 
ted  to  eighty,  opened  on  the  enemy’s  batteries,  while  advancing  steadily 
along  the  high-road  was  a  mitrailleuse ,  whence  fire  was  opened  on  the  re¬ 
connoitring  party.  Strong  outposts,  well  sustained,  were  placed.  The 
enemy  made  no  serious  attack  that  day. 

NAVAL  MATTERS. 

A  Prussian  ship,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce,  boarded  Admiral  Fourichon’s  ves¬ 
sel.  Prince  Von  Hessen,  received  by  Baron  de  Roussin,  announced  that 
he  bore  a  letter  for  the  Admiral.  He  spoke  in  German,  which  the  Baron 
did  not  understand,  and  the  English  language  was  used  in  the  further  nego¬ 
tiations.  The  Baron,  saying  that  he  was  authorized  to  open  the  letter, 
did  so,  and,  finding  it  written  in  German,  requested  to  have  the  contents 
explained  in  English.  After  an  hour,  which  the  Germans  improved  in  ex¬ 
amining  the  French  vessels,  the  answer  of  the  Admiral  was  brought.  The 
two  letters  are  as  follows  : 

Excellency  :  You  have  opened  hostilities  at  sea  by  the  capture  of  German  merchant 
ships,  and  have  thereby  forgotten  that  we  are  at  present  in  a  condition  on  land  to  be  able 
to  make  unrestricted  reprisals  for  such  a  war  against  peaceable  Germans.  In  the  interest 
of  your  countrymen  I  submit  to  your  Excellency  to  make  war  on  the  sea  only  against 
armed  forces,  just  as  at  present  in  France  war  is  not  made  against  unarmed  citizens. 
Well,  then,  let  us  fight  each  other  as  knightly  soldiers,  show  ourselves  equally  honorable, 
respect  the  private  property  of  peaceable  citizens.  If  your  Excellency  is  of  the  same  mind, 
you  can  make  known  your  inclination  to  give  back  the  ships  you  have  taken  ;  you  will 
gain  more  by  that  course  than  these  small  prizes  are  worth  to  you.  The  bearer  of  this, 
Rear-Admiral  Prince  Von  Hessen,  is  charged  by  me  to  deliver  this  letter,  and  to  conclude 
terms  with  your  Excellency.  With  particular  respect,  your  Excellency’s  to  command. 

Von  Falckenstein, 

General  Governor  of  the  Coast  Lands. 

ANSWER. 

On  Board  the  “Magnanime,”  August  18,  1870. 

My  interpreter  of  the  German  language  being  at  this  moment  on  a  cruise  in  another  fri¬ 
gate,  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  only  an  imperfect  comprehension  of  the  letter  you  have 
done  me  the  honor  to  write  ;  but  the  Prince  of  Hessen,  your  fiag-of-truce  bearer,  has  indi¬ 
cated  its  object  to  my  chief  of  staff.  Its  purpose  is  to  secure  to  private  property  upon  the 
sea  the  respect  which  the  law  of  mankind  accords  it  upon  the  land.  Your  Excellency 


GRA  VEL OTTE,  AUGUST  1 8. 


177 


is  not  ignorant,  that  up  to  the  present  day  the  international  law  and  treaties  do  not  agree 
with  that  stipulation,  and  you  will  readily  acknowledge  that  such  a  subject  lies  exclusively 
within  the  prerogatives  of  our  governments,  and  that  I  have  in  no  way  the  right  to  treat 
of  them.  Be  pleased.  Excellency,  to  receive  the  assurance  of  my  highest  considera¬ 
tion. 

L.  Fourichon,  Vice-admiral. 

Gravelotte,  Thursday,  August  18.  —  Last  great  battle 
near  Metz.  Severe  fighting  from  eight  in  the  morning  until 
nine  at  night.  The  French  defeated  —  their  centre  pushed 
back  by  Steinmetz,  their  right  flank  turned  by  Prince  Charles, 
and  Bazaine’s  entire  army  forced  back  to  Metz.  King  Wil¬ 
liam  sends  a  despatch  of  victory.  Palikao  deceives  Paris,  by 
claiming  a  French  victory.  Bazaine  sealed  up  in  Metz. 
General  Von  Werder  assumes  command  of  German  troops 
operating  before  Strasburg. 

*  At  daybreak  the  First  German  army,  with  the  First,  Seventh, 
and  Eighth  Corps,  stood  on  the  hills  south  of  Rezonville.  The 
Second  army,  with  the  Third,  Ninth,  Tenth,  Twelfth,  and 
Guard  Corps,  was  on  the  left  flank,  south  of  Mars-la-Tour  and 
Vionville.  The  southern  branch  of  the  Verdun  road,  west  of 
Rezonville,  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Germans.  The  northern 
branch  as  far  as  Cautre  was  held  by  the  French,  whose  line 
extended  from  Amanvillers,  through  Verneville  and  Gravelotte, 
to  the  Bois  de  Vaux.  Towards  ten  o’clock  in  the  morning, 
after  having  already  spent  six  hours  in  visiting  the  corps  in  po¬ 
sition,  the  King  from  the  heights  of  Flavigny  ordered  the 
Ninth  Corps,  in  position  there,  to  move  toward  the  woods  be¬ 
hind  St.  Marcel  ;  while  the  Seventh  and  Eighth  Corps  marched 
against  the  Bois  de  Vaux,  south  of  Gravelotte.  The  latter  had 
orders  to  push  the  enemy  very  slowly,  in  order  to  give  time  to 
the  Guards  and  Twelfth  Corps  to  make  a  long  detour  on  the 
left,  by  way  of  Jouaville,  Batilly,  and  Ste.  Marie  aux  Chenes. 
The  Third  and  Tenth  Corps  were  in  reserve,  and  but  few  of 
their  troops  were  in  the  fight,  these  being  mostly  artillery. 
The  principal  movement  was  that  on  the  left.  Preceded  by 


*  This  synopsis,  as  well  as  valuable  statistics  on  other  occasions,  is  taken  from  the 
Army  and  Navy  Journal  (39  Park  Row).  This  journal  has  shown  much  talent  in 
its  military  reports  and  reviews  of  the  present  war.  Its  writers  have  shown  a  power  of 
analysis  deserving  appreciation,  and  a  military  acumen  which  has  made  plain  many  ob¬ 
scure  situations.  The  author  only  wishes  that  he  knew  the  individual  writers,  that  he 
might  give  them  the  personal  credit  due. 

8* 


178 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


Prussian  and  Saxon  cavalry,  the  Second  army  advanced,  still 
maintaining  communication  on  the  right  with  the  First  army. 
The  Twelfth  Corps  took  the  direction  by  Mars-la-Tour  and 
Jarny,  while  the  Guards  advanced  between  Mars-la-Tour  and 
Vionville  on  Doncourt,  and  the  Ninth  Corps  crossed  the  high¬ 
way  to  the  west  of  Rezonville,  toward  Cautre  farm,  north  of 
St.  Marcel.  Their  purpose  was  to  gain  the  central  and  north¬ 
ern  roads.  They  quickly  found  that  the  French  were  not  re¬ 
treating,  and  moved  to  the  right,  meeting  at  Ste.  Marie  aux 
Chenes  and  Doncourt  resistance  which  was  overcome,  and 
after  another  struggle  among  the  steep  hills  at  St.  Privat-la- 
Montagne,  that  place  was  gained.  The  right  flank  of  this 
Second  army  holding  the  centre  of  the  whole  German  line,  had 
been  earlier  engaged  with  some  advanced  forces  of  the  French, 
and  toward  noon  the  Ninth  Corps  was  engaged  at  Verneville. 
The  Guards  and  Twelfth  Corps  reached  St.  Privat  about  four 
p.m.,  and  immediately  moved  south  and  east  against  Aman- 
villers.  The  fighting  here  was  exceedingly  severe.  The  Ger¬ 
mans  lay  in  a  long  curve,  sweeping  from  St.  Privat,  where  the 
Saxons  fought  on  the  extreme  left,  through  Ste.  Marie  aux 
Chenes  and  St.  Ail  (Guards),  Verneville  (Ninth  corps),  Grave- 
lotte  (Eighth  corps),  and  Bois  de  Vaux  (Seventh  corps),  across 
the  Moselle,  on  the  right  bank  of  which  a  brigade  of  the  First 
Corps  and  artillery  from  the  reserves  were  engaged.  The 
French  army  fought  with  its  back  to  Germany  ;  the  Germans 
had  Paris  in  their  rear.  Bazaine’s  entire  army  was  in  line, 
including  those  troops  which  had  been  prepared  for  the  Baltic 
expedition.  On  the  left  wing  the  flanking  column,  after  meet¬ 
ing  with  resistance  at  every  point,  pushed  its  enemy  back 
through  Ste.  Marie,  Doncourt,  St.  Privat,  St.  Ail,  Habouville, 
the  wood  of  La  Cusse,  and  Verneville,  until,  toward  evening, 
two  small  outworks  of  Metz,  lying  northeast  of  Gravelotte,  and 
named  Leipzig  and  Moscow,  were  reached.  All  the  roads  south 
of  Metz  were  then  firmly  in  the  hands  of  the  Germans. 

The  right  wing  had  great  difficulties  to  overcome.  Early  in 
the  day  its  work  was  to  press  the  F'rench  lightly  in  the  Bois  de 
Vaux.  Back  of  this  wood  was  the  strongest  part  of  the  French 
position.  It  was  covered  by  a  deep  road  with  sides  fifty  feet 
high,  back  of  which  was  a  plateau  325  to  600  feet  in  height. 
Behind  this  is  the  Rozerieulles  hill,  along  the  slopes  of  which 
the  highway  to  Metz  runs.  This  whole  steep  was  covered 
with  rifle  pits,  in  three  tiers.  Behind  these  were  the  infantry ; 
behind  the  infantry  the  artillery.  The  highway  as  it  runs  along 


GRAVELOTTE,  AUGUST  18. 


170 


this  hill  is  only  5000  yards  in  a  straight  line  from  Fort  St. 
Quentin,  one  of  the  strong  outworks  of  Metz.  But  the  crest 
of  the  hill  intervenes  between  them,  and  by  the  road  the  distance 
is  nearly  twice  as  great.  The  French  soldiers,  driven  from 
this  last  position,  and  crossing  the  ridge,  would  find  themselves 
directly  under  the  guns  of  their  forts.  When  news  of  the  suc¬ 
cesses  on  the  left,  and  the  evident- abandonment  of  the  retreat 
by  the  French,  was  brought  to  the  King,  he  moved  forward  to 
a  hill  near  Rezonville,  and  ordered  more  positive  action  on  the 
right  wing.  The  French,  however,  maintained  their  post  with 
great  determination.  Driven  from  it  at  one  time,  they  retook 
it  by  a  counter-charge.  The  King,  to  whom  news  of  the  suc¬ 
cess  had  been  sent,  arrived  on  the  hill  back  of  Gravelotte  only 
to  see  his  cavalry  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  defile,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  which  the  enemy  stood.  The  fire  of  the  ar¬ 
tillery  ceased  ;  the  troops  had  lost  so  heavily,  that  the  position 
seemed  to  be  beyond  their  grasp.  The  King,  however,  or¬ 
dered  another  attempt,  and  after  an  hour,  during  which  night 
came  on,  the  troops  were  re-formed.  They  were  no  sooner  in 
motion  than  the  whole  face  of  the  hill  revealed  such  rows 
of  artillery  and  infantry,  delivering  an  extremely  rapid  and 
deadly  fire,  that  General  Von  Moltke  sent  an  officer  to  recall 
the  troops.  Before  he  was  out  of  sight,  the  men  appeared 
themselves,  returning  down  the  hillside,  fully  repulsed.  Just 
then  the  Second  Corps,  which  had  been  on  the  march  since  two 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  came  up,  and  as  soon  as  enough 
regiments  showed  themselves,  they  were  sent  to  take  the  hill 
from  which  their  comrades  had  so  often  returned  in  failure. 
Following  the  withdrawing  storming  party  came  the  French  in 
counter-attack.  Their  success  was  so  great,  that  the  German 
troops  showed  symptoms  of  serious  disorder.  Some  parts  of 
the  line  began  a  disorderly  retreat,  and  the  moment  was  crit¬ 
ical.  General  Von  Moltke,  who  had  anxiously  awaited  the 
coining  of  the  Second  Corps,  rushed  up,  and  himself  gave  them 
the  word  to  advance.  They  sprang  forward  after  him,  and, 
when  the  reinforcement  was  well  up  the  hill,  the  repulsed 
troops  were  again  sent  forward,  going  through  their  terrible 
experience  for  the  last  time,  as  it  proved,  with  great  steadiness 
and  spirit.  This  attack  succeeded ;  and  at  half-past  eight  the 
last  position  of  the  French  was  in  the  hands  of  their  enemy. 
Bazaine  officially  reported  his  wounded  at  Gravelotte  at  18,000  ; 
and  for  18,000  killed  and  wounded  that  Bazaine  lost,  his  enemy 
lost  at  least  25,000.  The  Prussian  captures  were,  at  Vion- 


ISO 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


ville,  36  officers  and  3000  privates ;  Gravelotte,  54  officers  and 
3000  privates. 

bazaine’s  despatch. 

To  His  Majesty  the  Emperor,  Camp  of  Chalons  : 

Camp  of  Fort  Flappeville,  18 th  August,  1870.  ) 

20  m.  past  8  in  the  evening.  f 

I  do  not  understand  the  importance  of  provisioning  Verdun.  I  think  it 
is  necessary  only  to  leave  there  what  the  fortress  requires.  I  have  come  in 
from  the  plateau.  The  attack  has  been  very  smart.  At  this  time,  seven 
o’clock,  the  firing  has  ceased.  Our  troops  constantly  remain  in  their  po¬ 
sitions.  One  regiment,  the  Sixtieth,  has  suffered  severely  in  defending 
the  farm  of  St.  Hubert.  Bazaine. 

KING  WILLIAM  TO  THE  QUEEN. 

Bivouac,  near  Rezonville,  August  18,  9  p.m. —  The  French  army, 
occupying  a  very  strong  position  to  the  west  of  Metz,  was  to-day  attacked 
under  my  leadership,  and  after  nine  hours’  fighting  was  completely  de¬ 
feated,  cut  off  from  its  communications  with  Paris,  and  driven  back 
towards  Metz.  William. 

SECOND  TELEGRAM. 

About  8.30  P.M.  fighting  ceased  gradually.  Without  this  I  should 
have  acted  as  at  Koniggratz.  Von  Roon  saved  me  this  alternative. 
The  troops  have  performed  miracles  of  valor  against  an  enemy  equally 
brave,  who  withdrew  by  inches,  resuming  the  offensive  to  be  again  re¬ 
pulsed.  I  cannot  foretell  the  enemy’s  fate.  I  shrink  from  learning  our 
losses.  I  had  designed  bivouacking  here,  but  I  find,  after  some  hours,  that 
I  am  without  my  luggage.  In  fact,  I  have  not  removed  my  clothing  for 
thirty  hours.  (Signed)  William. 

THE  KING’S  LETTER  REPORT. 

To  the  Queen  :  Rezonville,  August  10. 

Yesterday  was  a  day  of  renewed  victory,  the  consequences  of  which 
cannot  yet  be  estimated. 

In  the  early  morning  the  Twelfth  Guards  and  Ninth  Corps  proceeded 
toward  the  northern  road  from  Metz  to  Verdun  as  far  as  St.  Marcel  and 
Doncourt,  followed  by  the  Third  and  Tenth  Corps  ;  while  the  Seventh  and 
Eighth,  and  finally  the  Second,  remained  opposite  Metz.  As  the  former 
swerved  to  the  right,  in  thickly  wooded  ground,  toward  Verneville  and  St. 
Privat,  the  latter  began  the  attack  upon  Gravelotte,  not  heavily,  in  order 
to  wait  until  the  long  flank  march  upon  the  strong  position  Amanvillers- 
Chatel  should  be  accomplished  as  far  as  the  Metz  highway.  This  column 
did  not  get  into  action  until  four  o’clock  with  the  pivot  Corps,  the  Ninth 
at  twelve  o’clock.  The  enemy  put  forth  stout  resistance  in  the  woods,  so 


GRA  VEL O  TTE,  AUGUST  iS. 


181 


that  ground  was  gained  only  slowly.  St.  Privat  was  taken  by  the  Guards, 
Verneville  by  the  Ninth  Corps  ;  the  Twelfth  Corps  and  artillery  of  the  Third 
then  went  into  action.  Gravelotte  and  the  woods  on  both  sides  were 
taken  and  held  by  troops  of  the  Seventh  and  Eighth  Corps,  and  with  great 
losses.  In  order  to  attack  again  the  enemy,  who  had  been  driven  back  by 
the  flank  attack,  an  advance  beyond  Gravelotte  was  undertaken  at  dusk, 
which  came  upon  such  an  enormous  [sic)  fire  from  behind  rifle  pits  en  etage, 
and  artillery  fire,  that  the  Second  Corps,  which  just  then  came  up,  was 
forced  to  attack  the  enemy  with  the  bayonet,  and  completely  took  and 
held  the  strong  position.  It  was  half-past  eight  before  the  firing  gradually 
silenced  itself  in  all  quarters.  By  this  last  advance  the  historical  shells  of 
ICdniggratz  were  not  wanting  near  me,  from  which  this  time  Minister  Von 
Roon  removed  me.  All  troops  that  I  saw  greeted  me  with  enthusiastic 
hurrahs  ;  they  did  wonders  of  bravery  against  an  equally  brave  enemy,  who 
defended  every  step  and  often  attempted  offensive  attacks,  which  were  each 
time  repulsed.  What  the  fate  of  the  enemy  will  now  be,  pushed  into  the 
intrenched  very  strong  position  of  the  fortress  of  Metz,  is  still  impossible  to 
determine.  I  dread  to  ask  about  the  losses,  and  to  give  names,  for  only 
too  many  acquaintances  will  be  named,  and  often  incorrectly,  Y our  regi¬ 
ment  (the  Queen’s)  is  said  to  have  fought  brilliantly.  Waldersee  is 
wounded  severely,  but  not  fatally,  as  I  am  told.  I  expected  to  bivouac 
here,  but  found,  after  some  hours,  a  room,  where  I  rested  on  the  royal 
ambulance  which  I  had  brought  with  me  ;  and,  since  I  have  not  a  particle 
of  my  baggage  from  Pont-a-Mousson,  I  have  not  been  undressed  for  thirty 
hours.  I  thank  God  that  he  vouchsafed  us  the  victory. 

William. 

FRENCH  DENIAL. 

In  the  Corps  Legislatif,  the  Count  de  Palikao,  Minister  of 
War,  made  the  following  statement: 

The  Prussians  assert  that  they  were  victorious  on  the  18th. 
I  affirm  the  contrary.  I  have  communicated  a  despatch  to 
several  of  the  Deputies,  showing  that  three  Prussian  army 
corps  united  and  attacked  Marshal  Bazaine.  They  were  re¬ 
pulsed,  and  driven  into  the  quarries  of  Jaumont.  My  reserve 
about  this  despatch  will  be  understood.  I  need  not  mention 
the  small  advantage  gained  near  Bar-le-Duc.  We  are  now 
actively  completing  the  fortification  of  Paris.  In  a  few  days 
all  will  be  assured. 

OFFICIAL  REPORT  OF  GRAVELOTTE. 
f  Trans  la  ted  from  the  German  IVar  Office  Despatch.) 

TROOPS  LOCATED. 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th,  the  First  Army,  with  the  Seventh  Corps,  was  posted  south 
of  Gravelotte,  the  Eighth  Corps  and  the  First  Cavalry  Division  being  south  of  Rezonville 
(the  First  Corps  of  the  Third  Cavalry  remained  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Moselle,  before 


182 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  STAN'  WAR. 


Metz).  This  army  was  first  directed  to  cover,  in  the  wood  of  Vaux  and  at  Gravelotte,  the 
movement  of  the  Second  Army  against  any  sortie  of  the  enemy  from  Metz.  The  Second 
Army  advanced  in  the  morning  by  Echelons  of  the  left  wing  toward  the  north  road,  main¬ 
taining  communication  on  the  right  with  the  First  Army.  The  Twelfth  Corps  took  the  di¬ 
rection  by  Mars-la-Tour  and  Jarny,  while  the  Guards  Corps  advanced  between  Mars-la- 
Tour  and  Vionville  on  Doncourt,  and  the  Ninth  Corps  crossed  the  highway  to  the  west  of 
Rezonville,  toward  Cautre  farm,  north  of  St.  Marcel.  These  three  corps  composed  the 
first  line,  and  if  the  assigned  points  were  reached,  the  north  main  road  was  gained.  Saxon 
and  Prussian  cavalry  preceded  the  column  as  skirmishers. 

THE  ADVANCE. 

As  soon  as  it  was  found  that  the  enemy  did  not  contemplate  a  retreat,  and  could  there¬ 
fore  only  remain  before  Metz,  it  was  necessary  to  move  these  three  corps  considerably  to 
the  right,  and  to  bring  up  both  armies  against  the  enemy.  The  Tenth  and  Third  Corps 
followed  in  a  second  line,  and  then  as  the  last  reserve  the  Second  Army  Corps,  which  since 
2  a.m.  had  been  marching  from  Pont-a-Mousson  toward  Buxieres.  About  10.30  it  was 
evident  that  the  enemy  had  abandoned  his  retreat,  and  had  taken  up  a  position  on  the  last 
ridges  before  Metz.  The  Second  Army  was  thereupon  ordered  to  carry  out  its  sweep  to 
the  right,  and,  keeping  up  communication  with  the  first,  to  direct  its  centre  and  left  wing 
on  Verneville  and  Amanvillers.  The  general  attack  was  not  to  begin  till  the  movement  was 
entirely  executed,  and  till  the  front  of  the  strong  position  could  be  simultaneously  attacked 
on  the  right  flank.  The  Ninth  Corps  first  threw  itself  on  advanced  detachments  of  the 
enemy.  Toward  noon  artillery  fire  from  the  neighborhood  of  Verneville  announced  that 
the  corps  at  that  spot  was  engaged.  The  First  Army  was  consequently  ordered  to  occupy 
the  attention  of  the  enemy  on  the  heights  by  artillery  fire  from  its  front. 

•  THE  BATTLE  OPENS. 

About  12.45  they  opened  a  slow  and  well-directed  cannonade  upon  the  eminences  of  the 
Pont-du-Jour,  to  which  the  enemy  replied  from  numerous  batteries.  The  thunder  of  the 
cannon  was  drowned  by  the  strange  noise  of  the  mitrailleuses. 

The  position  was  an  exceedingly  strong  one,  and  its  security  was  increased  through  forti¬ 
fications  and  by  ranges  of  rifle  pits  ;  at  certain  points  it  had  quite  the  appearance  of  a  fort¬ 
ress.  The  attack  could  not  succeed  until  our  commanders  had  achieved  the  difficult  task 
of  so  directing  their  measures  that  the  whole  of  the  troops  were  ready  as  well  for  the  battle 
on  the  north  as  on  the  east,  and  the  latter  attack  could  only  commence  when  it  was  appar¬ 
ent  that  the  enemy  had  given  up  a  retreat.  It  was  not  practicable,  moreover,  to  completely 
carry  out  the  movement,  which  was  to  envelop  the  enemy’s  right  wing,  and  nothing  re¬ 
mained  but  to  attack  the  front  of  this  formidable  point.  The  struggle  was  long  and  diffi¬ 
cult  at  various  points.  On  the  left  wing  the  Saxons  fought,  and  the  Guards  near  Ste. 
Marie  aux  Ch&sne,  afterward  near  the  precipitous  slopes  of  St.  Privat  la  Montagne,  then 
in  that  village  and  in  Doncourt.  On  the  right,  at  St.  Ail,  and  beyond  at  Habouville,  the 
wood  of  La  Cusse  and  Verneville,  as  far  as  the  northerly  road  from  Metz  to  Verdun,  the 
Guards  and  the  Ninth  Army  Corps  sustained  the  struggle  ;  at  Gravelotte,  and  in  the  Vaux 
wood  up  to  the  Moselle  the  Eighth  and  Seventh  Corps  ;  and  from  the  further  side  of  the 
river  bank  a  brigade  of  the  First  Corps  took  part  in  the  fight,  likewise  some  single  divi¬ 
sions  of  the  Third  and  Tenth  Corps,  especially  artillery.  On  the  enemy’s  side  the  whole 
of  the  main  French  army  was  engaged  —  even  the  troops  originally  destined  for  the  Baltic 
expedition,  with  the  exception  of  MacMahon’s  divisions  not  stationed  at  Metz,  and  the 
larger  part  of  Failly’s  corps. 

THE  BRAVE. TROOPS. 

The  unsurpassable  bravery  of  our  troops  succeeded,  at  the  approach  of  dusk,  in  storming 
the  heights  and  driving  the  enemy  from  his  whole  line  ;  the  Second  Corps,  which  had  been 
marching  since  2  a.m.,  taking  a  decisive  part  in  this,  on  the  right  wing.  The  battle  ter¬ 
minated  about  8.30,  when  it  was  quite  dark.  During  the  night  the  enemy  drew  back  into 
his  intrenched  camp  at  Metz.  Numberless  wounded  and  stray  detachments  still  wandered 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  battle-field.  His  Majesty,  who  had  directed  the  battle  ulti¬ 
mately  from  the  hill  of  Gravelotte,  made  Rezonville  his  headquarters. 

The  losses,  as  was  inevitable  in  such  a  combat,  must  be  very  considerable  ;  at  present 
they  cannot  be  approximately  stated,  as  just  as  little  can  the  number  of  the  prisoners  and 
other  trophies  be  reckoned.  As  to  the  last,  as  in  reference  to  all  encounters  round  Metz,  a 
great  booty  cannot  be  looked  for,  as  pursuit  was  not  possible  in  the  vicinity  of  the  fortress. 
The  battle  formed  the  conclusion  of  the  previous  strategic  movements  round  Metz,  and  the 
result  is  that  the  hostile  army  is  for  the  time  cut  off  from  all  communication  with  Paris.  It 
is  a  subject  of  rejoicing  that  on  this  eventful  day  the  brotherhood  in  arms  of  the  Prussian, 
Saxon,  and  Hessian  troops  has  been  sealed  in  blood. 

BATTLE  OF  GRAVELOTTE  (August  18). 

All  day  long  on  the  1 7th,  preparations  were  progressing  for 


GRAVELOTTE ,  AUGUST  18. 


183 


to-day’s  great  conflict.  Steinmetz,  whose  advance  near  Gorze 
had  attacked  the  retreating  French  force  on  the  16th,  was  now 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Moselle,  with  the  First,  Seventh,  and 
Eighth  Corps,  ready  to  march  against  the  French  left.  Late 
last  evening,  the  “  Lion  of  Skalitz  ”  felt  the  enemy,  and  he 
knew  there  was  bloody  work  for  to-day. 

The  last  remnant  of  Prince  Charles’  army,  with  the  Second 
Corps,  had  been  hurrying  down  all  night  from  Pont-a-Mousson. 
Three  hundred  thousand  men  were  preparing  the  machinery 
for  a  grand  battle  which  was  to  decide  the  fate  of  two  of  the 
grandest  armies  of  modern  time.  The  King  was  to  command 
in  person. 

The  bloody  conflict  of  Mars-la-Tour  had  thrown  the  French 
back  on  the  Verdun  road,  from  Vionville,  through  Rezonville,  to 
the  hills  around  Gravelotte,  the  little  village  at  the  junction  of 
the  two  roads  from  Metz  to  Verdun,  about  seven  miles  from 
Metz.  There,  on  a  circle  of  hills,  from  the  wood  of  Vaux,  by 
Gravelotte,  towards  Moscow,  stood  the  Army  of  the  Rhine. 
There  was  Canrobert,  De  Caen,  Bourbaki  with  the  Imperial 
Guards,  L'Admirault,  and  all  that  was  left  of  Frossard.  The 
French  had  160,000  men  ;  the  Germans,  280,000  (the  First, 
Seventh,  Eighth,  Second,  Third,  Twelfth,  Ninth,  and  Tenth 
Corps). 

Eight  A. M. —  Morning  found  Steinmetz  directly  in  front 
of  the  French  left  centre,  between  Gorze  and  Rezonville  (see 
map),  his  left  extending  in  front  of  Rezonville.  Prince  Charles 
was  marching  his  forces,  the  Twelfth,  Ninth,  and  Guard  Corps, 
directly  north  between  Mars-la-Tour  and  Flavigny,  the  Third 
and  Tenth  following  in  reserve,  and  the  Second  farther  towards 
Pont-a-Mousson.  Steinmetz  had  orders  to  remain  still  until 
Prince  Charles  should  wheel  his  three  corps  to  the  right  toward 
Verneville,  and  come  against  the  French  right  flank.  All  the 
morning  the  Ninth,  Twelfth,  and  Guard  Corps  marched  north¬ 
ward,  the  left  of  the  line  wheeling  towards  the  French  right. 
Twelve  o’clock  found  the  pivot  Corps  ready  for  action.  The 
Second  Corps,  coming  forward,  joined  Steinmetz,  and  com¬ 
menced  an  attack  on  Gravelotte.  The  corps  making  the  ex¬ 
tensive  flanking  march  did  not  become  engaged  until  four 
o’clock. 

The  King  commanded  in  person,  surrounded  by  Von  Moltke, 
Bismarck,  Von  Roon,  Sheridan,  etc.,  his  headquarters  being  on 
the  battle-field  of  the  16th,  on  a  hill  commanding  a  view  of  the 


1S4 


THE  FRANC Q-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


French  and  Prussian  centres  and  a  part  of  their  wings.  From 
this  commanding  position,  directly  in  front  (southwest)  of 
Gravelotte,  the  view  was  magnificent.  On  the  Left  was  the 
road  to  Verdun,  for  the  possession  of  which  this  series  of  actions 
had  begun.  It  was  between  the  lines  of  poplars  which  stood 
against  the  horizon  on  the  left ;  and  on,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  toward  Metz,  with  military  regularity,  strung  on  this 
road  like  beads,  were  the  pretty  villages,  each  with  its  church 
tower,  all  of  which  are  really  only  a  hundred  yards  apart,  al¬ 
though  they  have  separate  names — Mars-la-Tour,  Flavigny,  a 
little  south  of  the  road,  Vionviile,  Rezonville,  and  Gravelotte, 
which  is  divided  into  Great  and  Little  Gravelotte.  On  the 
right  were  the  thickly-wooded  hills,  behind  which  lie  sthe  most 
important  village  of  the  neighborhood  —  Gorze.  So  environed 
was  the  foreground  of  the  battle,  which  should  be  called  the 
battle  of  Gravelotte,  for  it  was  mainly  over  and  around  that 
devoted  little  town  that  it  raged.  The  area  indicated  is  per¬ 
haps  four  miles  square. 

The  Seventh  and  Eighth  Corps  of  Steinmetz,  and  the  Ninth 
(pivot  Corps)  of  Prince  Charles,  opened  the  conflict. 

The  author  now  follows  the  thread  of  the  narrative  of  an  eye-witness  (with  some  cor¬ 
rections  which  time  has  made),  believing,  as  remarked  before,  that  the  testimony  of  a 
disinterested  eye-witness  on  a  battle-field  is  the  truest  history  which  will  ever  be  written. 
The  description  used  here  is  that  famous  account  published  in  the  London  Nevus,  and 
cabled  by  Mr.  George  W.  Smalley  to  the  Tribune,  IVorld,  Times,  Herald,  and  Sun. 

Twelve  o'clock ,  M. — At  this  moment  the  French  were  making  a  most  des¬ 
perate  effort  to  hold  on  to  the  last  bit  of  the  Verdun  road  —  that  between 
Rezonville  and  Gravelotte,  or  that  part  of  Gravelotte  which  in  some  maps 
is  called  St.  Marcel.  The  struggle  was  desperate,  but  unavailing  ;  for  every 
one  man  in  the  French  army  had  two  to  cope  with,  and  their  line  was  al¬ 
ready  beginning  to  waver.  Soon  it  was  plain  that  this  wing,  the  French 
right,  was  withdrawing  to  anew  position.  This  was  swiftly  taken  up  under 
cover  of  a  continuous  fire  of  their  artillery  from  the  heights  beyond  the  vil¬ 
lage.  The  movement  was  made  in'  good  order,  and  the  position,  which 
was  reached  at  one  o’clock  and  thirty  minutes,  would  have  been  pronounced 
impregnable  by  nine  out  of  ten  military  men.  When  once  this  movement 
had  been  effected,  the  French  retreating  from  the  pressure  of  the  Prussian 
artillery  fire,  and  the  Prussians  as  rapidly  advancing,  the  battle-field  was  no 
longer  about  Rezonville,  but  had  been  transferred  and  pushed  forward  to 
Gravelotte,  the  junction  of  the  two  branching  roads  to  Verdun.  The 
fields  in  front  of  that  village  were  completely  covered  by  the  Prussian  re¬ 
serves,  and  interminable  lines  of  soldiers  were  steadily  marching  onward, 
disappearing  into  the  village,  and  emerging  on  the  other  side  of  it  with 
flaming  volleys. 

THIS  SECOND  BATTLE-FIELD 

was  less  extensive  than  the  first,  and  brought  the  opposing  forces  into  fear¬ 
fully  close  quarters.  The  peculiarity  of  it  is,  that  it  consists  of  two  heights, 


GRA  VEL OTTE,  AUGUST  \ 8. 


1S5 


intersected  by  a  deep  ravine.  This  woody  ravine  is  over  ioo  feet  deep, 
and  at  the  top  some  300  yards  wide.  The  side  of  the  chasm  next  to 
Gravelotte,  where  the  Prussians  stood,  is  much  lower  than  the  other  side, 
which  gradually  ascends  to  a  great  height.  From  their  commanding  emi¬ 
nence  the  French  held  their  enemies  fairly  beneath  them,  and  poured  upon 
them  a  scorching  fire.  The  French  guns  were  in  position  far  up  by  the  Metz 
road,  hidden  and  covered  among  the  trees.  There  was  not  an  instant’s 
cessation  of  the  roar.  Easily  distinguishable  amid  all  was  the  curious 
grunting  roll  of  the  mitrailleuse.  The  Prussian  artillery  was  posted  to 
the  north  and  south  of  the  village,  the  guns  on  the  latter  side  being  neces¬ 
sarily  raised  for  an  awkward  half-vertical  fire. 

THE  CARNAGE. 

The  French  stood  their  ground  and  died — the  Prussians  stood  their 
ground  and  died  —  both  by  hundreds,  I  had  almost  said  thousands.  This 
for  an  hour  or  two,  that  seemed  ages,  so  constant  was  the  slaughter.  The 
hill  where  I  stood  commanded  chiefly  the  conflict  behind  the  village 
and  to  the  south  of  it.  The  Prussian  reinforcements,  coming  up  on  their 
right,  filed  out  of  the  Bois  des  Ognons;  and  it  was  at  that  point,  as  they 
marched  on  to  the  field,  that  one  could  perhaps  get  the  best  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  this  invading  army  now  in  the  heart  of  France.  There  was 
no  break  whatever  for  four  hours  in  the  march  of  men  out  of  that  wood. 
It  seemed  almost  as  if  all  the  killed  and  wounded  revived  and  came  back 
and  marched  forth  again.  Birnam  Wood  advancing  to  Dunsinane  Hill 
was  not  a  more  ominous  sight  to  Macbeth  than  these  men  of  Gen.  Goe- 
ben’s  army  to  Bazaine,  shielded  as  they  were  by  the  woods  till  they  were 
fairly  within  range  and  reach  of  their  enemies’  guns.  So  the  French  must 
have  felt;  for  between  four  and  five  o’clock  they  concentrated  upon  that 
spot  their  heaviest  fire,  massing  all  available  guns,  and  shelling  the  woods 
unremittingly.  Their  fire  reached  the  Prussian  lines  and  tore  through  them ; 
and  though  the  men  were  steady,  it  was  a  test  to  which  no  General  cares 
to  subject  his  troops  long.  They  presently  swerved  a  little  from  that 
line  of  advance,  and  there  was  no  longer  a  continuous  column  of  infantry 
pouring  out  of  those  woods. 

THE  PRUSSIANS  RECEIVE  A  CHECK. 

The  attack  of  the  Prussians  in  the  centre  was  clearly  checked.  About 
five  o’clock,  however,  a  brigade  of  fresh  infantry  was  again  formed  in  the 
wood,  and  emerged  from  its  cover.  Once  out  from  under  the  trees,  they 
advanced  at  double-quick.  I  watched  their  movement.  The  French  guns 
had  not  lost  the  range  of  the  wood,  nor  of  the  ground  in  front.  Seen  at  a 
distance,  through  a  powerful  glass,  the  brigade  was  a  huge  serpent  bending 
with  the  undulation  of  the  field.  But  it  left  a  dark  track  behind  it,  and 
the  glass  resolved  the  dark  track  into  falling  and  dying  and  dead  men.  As 
the  horrid  significance  of  that  path,  so  traced,  came  upon  me,  1  gazed  on 
more  intently.  Many  of  those  who  had  fallen  leaped  up  again  and  ran  for¬ 
ward  a  little  way,  striving  still  to  go  on  with  their  comrades.  Of  those 
who  went  backward  instead  of  forward  there  were  few,  though  many  fell 
as  they  painfully  endeavored  to  follow  the  advance. 

I  do  not  know  whether,  after  the  vain  effort  of  that  brigade,  another 
movement  was  attempted  from  within  the  wood.  But  half  an  hour  after¬ 
ward  great  numbers  of  troops  began  to  march  over  the  hill  where  I  was 
standing,  and  moved  forward  toward  the  field  where  so  hard  a  struggle  had 


1S6 


THE  FRANC0-PRUSS1AN  WAR. 


been  so  long  protracted.  These  also  were,  I  think,  a  portion  of  Gen.  Goe- 
ben’s  troops,  who  had  been  directed  upon  a  less  dangerous  route. 

Steinmetz  was  getting  tired  and  exhausted  in  front.  Every  moment  he 
expected  to  hear  the  roar  of  Prince  Charles’  guns  on  the  French  right  flank. 
The  battle  stood  still. 

THE  FLANK  MOVEMENT. 

4.30  P.M. —  The  troops  of  Prince  Charles  on  the  Prussian  left  begin  to 
be  heard  from.  The  grand  flank  movement  of  the  Ninth  and  Twelfth 
Corps  begins  to  strike  the  French  right. 

The  battle  from  this  point  on  the  Prussian  left  became  so  fierce  that  it 
was  soon  lost  to  us,  or  nearly  lost,  by  reason  of  the  smoke.  Now  and 
then  the  thick  cloud  would  open  a  little  and  drift  away  on  the  wind,  and 
then  we  could  seethe  French,  sorely  tried.  To  get  a  better  view  of  this 
part  of  the  field,  I  went  forward  about  half  a  mile,  and  from  this  new 
stand-point  found  myself  not  far  from  Malmaison.  The  French  line  on 
the  hills  was  still  unbroken,  and  to  all  appearances  they  were  having  the 
best  of  the  battle.  But  this  appearance  was  due,  perhaps,  to  the  fact  that 
the  French  were  more  clearly  visible  in  their  broad  height,  and  fighting  with 
such  singular  obstinacy.  They  plainly  silenced  a  Prussian  battery  now  and 
then.  But  the  Prussian  line  also  was  strengthened  by  degrees  on  this 
northern  point.  Infantry  and  artillery  were  brought  up,  and  from  far  in 
the  rear,  away  seeemingly  in  the  direction  of  Verneville,  shot  and  shell  be¬ 
gan  reaching  the  French  ranks.  These  were  the  men  and  these  were  the 
guns  of  Prince  Charles,  who  then  and  there  effected  the  junction  of  the 
Ninth,  Twelfth,  and  Guards  Corps  with  Steinmetz,  and  completed  the 
investment  of  Metz  to  the  northwest. 

With  reinforcements  lor  the  Prussians  thus  continually  arriving  on  both 
sides  of  the  field,  the  battle  grew  more  and  more  obstinate.  There  could 
be  no  doubt  that  the  French  well  understood  the  meaning  of  the  new 
movements  of  the  Prussians,  and  of  the  gradual  development  of  their  line 
to  the  north. 

Farther  and  farther  towards  Metz  the  Twelfth  Corps  fought  its  way  un¬ 
til  the  French  were  outflanked,  and  began  to  be  threatened,  as  it  appeared, 
with  an  attack  on  the  rear  of  their  extreme  right  wing.  So  long  as  the 
smoke  from  the  Prussian  guns  hovered  only  over  their  front,  the  French 
clung  to  their  position.  The  distance  from  headquarters  to  where  the 
Prussian  flank  attack  stretched  forward  was  great,  and,  to  add  to  the  diffi¬ 
culty  of  clearly  seeing  the  battle,  the  darkness  was  coming  on. 

Prince  Charles’  army  was  doing  its  deadly  work.  Bazaine  began  to  fear 
that  his  communications  with  Metz  would  be  cut  off.  The  Prussian  on¬ 
set  became  irresistible.  The  puffs  of  smoke  from  the  French  guns 
mingled  with  the  flashes,  brightening  as  the  darkness  increased,  receded 
gradually.  The  pillars  of  cloud  and  flame  from  the  North  as  gradually 
and  steadily  approached.  With  that  advance  the  French  fire  every  mo¬ 
ment  grew  more  slack.  It  was  not  far  from  nine  o’clock  when  the  ground 
was  yielded  finally  on  the  North,  and  the  last  shots  fired  on  that  terrible 
evening  were  heard  in  that  direction. 

ANXIETY  AT  HEADQUARTERS. 

But  to  go  back  now  to  the  movements  of  the  King  and  those  with  him  at 
headquarters.  The  King’s  face,  as  he  stood  gazing  upon  the  battle-field,  had 


GRA  VEL  O  TTE,  AUGUST  18. 


187 


something  almost  plaintive  in  it.  He  hardly  said  a  word,  but  I  noticed  that 
his  attention  was  divided  between  the  exciting  scenes  in  the  distance  and  the 
dismal  scene  nearer  his  feet,  where  they  were  just  beginning  what  must  yet 
be  a  long  task  —  to  bury  the  French  who  fell  in  Tuesday’s  battle.  On  them 
he  gazed  silently,  and,  I  thought,  sadly. 

Count  Bismarck  could  not  conceal  his  excitement  and  anxiety.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  the  King,  the  Count  would  clearly  have  gone  forward 
where  the  fighting  was.  His  towering  form  was  always  a  little  in  advance 
of  the  rest. 

When  the  French  completely  gave  up  their  hold  upon  the  road  up  to 
Gravelotte,  the  horses  of  the  Headquarters’  party  were  hastily  called,  and 
the  entire  party,  mounting,  with  the  King  at  their  head,  dashed  down  to  a 
point  not  very  far  from  the  village.  Then  shouts  and  cheers  arose,  and 
followed  them  wherever  they  passed. 

A  CAVALRY  CHARGE. 

A  little  after  four  o’clock  a  strange  episode  occurred.  From  the  loca¬ 
tion  of  the  flanking  army  a  magnificent  regiment  of  cavalry  galloped  out. 
They  paused  a  moment  at  the  point  where  the  Conflans  road  joins  that  to 
Metz.  Then  they  dashed  up  the  road  toward  Metz.  This  road  between 
Gravelotte  and  St.  Hubert’s  is  cut  through  the  hill,  and  on  each  side  of  it 
rise  cliffs  from  forty  to  sixty  feet  high,  except  at  the  point  where  it  trav¬ 
erses  the  deep  ravine  behind  the  village.  When  it  is  remembered  that  at 
the  time  the  culminating  point  to  which  that  road  ascends  was  held  by  the 
French,  it  will  not  be  wondered  at  that  only  half  that  regiment  survived. 
What  the  survivors  accomplished,  I  do  not  know ;  nor  could  I  learn  the 
name  and  number  of  that  regiment,  which  seemed  to  meet  its  fate  under 
the  eyes  of  the  King.  The  situation  hardly  admitted  asking  many  ques¬ 
tions,  but  their  plunge  into  that  deep  cut  on  the  hillside,  where  next  day  I 
saw  so  many  of  them  and  their  horses  lying,  was  of  that  brave,  unhesita¬ 
ting,  unfaltering  kind,  which  is  so  characteristic  of  German  soldiers,  among 
whom  stragglers  and  deserters  seem  to  be  absolutely  unknown. 

THE  RESERVES  ADVANCE. 

The  army  of  Steinmetz  had  been  fighting  long  and  hard,  and  suffering, 
it  was  only  too  plain,  heavily.  From  this  army  division  after  division  had 
been  taken,  and  vainly  sent  against  the  French  centre. 

The  Third  and  Tenth  Corps  of  Prince  Charles’  army  had  been  deci¬ 
mated  fearfully  in  the  engagement  on  the  1 6th.  These  corps  were  in  re¬ 
serve  to-day,  and  were  only  to  be  called  into  action  in  a  pressing  necessity. 
At  one  time  it  seemed  that  every  German  division,  brigade,  and  regiment 
would  be  needed.  The  losses  in  the  centre,  and  the  massing  of  great  forces 
for  a  fresh  attack  on  the  French  right  flank,  left  the  Verdun  road  itself  at 
one  time  almost  uncovered  —  the  very  road  for  possession  of  which  the 
Prussians  were  fighting. 

At  this  critical  moment  the  Third  and  Tenth  Corps,  decimated  in  the 
fight  of  the  1 6th,  marched  upon  the  field,  occupying  ground  before  held 
by  a  portion  of  the  forces  of  Steinmetz.  They  passed  the  point  which  in 
the  morning  had  been  the  royal  headquarters.  For  hours  before  dark, 
their  dark  lines  could  be  seen  winding  towards  the  front.  It  cannot  be 
doubted  that  the  presence  of  that  large  body  of  men  made  itself  felt  upon 
the  fortunes  of  the  field.  They  were  visible  to  the  French  as  well  as  to  us. 


138 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Here  was  another  example  of  the  moral  effect  that  may  be  and  so  often  is 
exerted  in  battle  by  masses  of  men  whose  presence  is  known  to  the  enemy, 
but  who  may  not  fire  a  shot  in  the  actual  conflict.  From  their  line  of 
march  it  is  clear  that  the  divisions  were  finally  posted  a  little  in  the  rear 
and  on  the  left  of  the  Prussian  centre  at  the  time  when  the  attacks  so  long 
directed  against  the  key  of  the  French  lines  had  ceased —  in  fact  had  failed 
for  the  time.  It  was  possible  that  the  French,  having  suffered  far  less  in 
holding  their  ground  than  the  Prussians  in  attacking,  might  have  advanced 
in  their  turn  and  have  undertaken  a  vigorous  offensive  movement.  If  they 
had  any  such  purpose,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  they  abandoned  it  on  sight  of 
the  Prussian  reinforcements. 

Instead  of  advancing,  the  French  now  contented  themselves  with  the 
mere  occupation  of  the  ground  to  which  earlier  in  the  day  they  had  been 
driven  back.  At  no  time  did  they  seriously  strive  to  regain  the  western¬ 
most  line  of  hills  which  had  been  theirs  in  the  morning.  At  no  time  did 
they  recover,  or  seek  to  recover,  by  any  vigorous  forward  movement  to  the 
junction  of  the  roads  at  Gravelotte.  From  seven  to  eight  the  weight  of 
the  battle  tended  more  and  more  to  the  north  of  the  road.  There 
was  a  lull,  the  meaning  of  which  the  French  failed  apparently  to  interpret. 
By  seven  they  may  have  believed  themselves  partly  victorious.  They  were 
still  perhaps  in  condition  to  renew  on  the  morrow  the  struggle  that  had 
gone  on  all  day  for  that  fated  road  from  Metz  to  Verdun.  If  they  had 
not  gained  the  road  or  the  battle,  they  had  not  clearly  lost  the  latter.  Two 
hours  later  they  had  lost  both. 

A  BLAZING  HOUSE  ILLUMINES  THE  FINALE. 

A  little  before  eight,  a  large  white  house  on  the  height  beyond  Gravelotte 
caught  fire.  It  seemed  through  the  gloom  to  be  a  church.  Its  spire  grew 
into  flames,  and  a  vast  black  cloud  of  smoke  arose,  contrasting  strangely 
with  the  white  smoke  of  the  battle.  More  and  more  picturesque  grew  the 
whole  field.  As  evening  fell  the  movements  of  the  troops  could  be  followed 
now  by  the  lines  of  fire  that  ran  flickering  along  the  front  of  a  regiment  as 
it  went  into  action.  Tongues  of  fire  pierced  through  and  illuminated  the 
smoke  out  of  the  cannons’  mouths,  and  the  fusees  of  the  shells  left  long 
trains  of  fire,  like  falling  stars.  No  general  likes  fighting  by  night  in  ordi¬ 
nary  circumstances,  for  chance  takes  then  the  place  of  skill ;  but  the  flank¬ 
ing  movement  on  the  French  right  had  been  resolved  on  by  daylight,  and 
it  was  the  necessity  of  moving  troops  to  a  great  distance  over  difficult 
ground  which  delayed  its  execution  and  brought  about  what  seemed  a  re¬ 
newal  of  the  battle  after  the  day  was  done. 

A  NIGHT  ATTACK. 

To  leave  the  French  in  their  positions  during  the  night,  would  have  been 
to  imperil  the  plan  on  which  the  Prussian  commander  had  resolved.  So, 
from  eight,  or  half-past  eight  to  nine,  the  decisive  blow  was  struck.  When 
the  battle  of  Gravelotte  had  actually  ended,  we  knew  that  the  Prussians 
held  the  strong  heights  beyond  the  Bois  de  Vaux,  which  command  the  sur¬ 
rounding  country  to  the  limits  of  artillery  range  from  Metz  ;  we  knew  that 
two  great  Prussian  armies  lay  across  the  only  road  by  which  Bazaine  could 
march  to  Paris  for  its  relief,  or  for  his  own  escape  ;  we  knew  that  a  victory 
greater  than  that  of  Sunday,  and  more  decisive  than  the  triumph  of  Tues¬ 
day,  had  been  won.  We  believed  that  the  French  army,  which  had  fought 


GRA  VEL  0  TTE,  A  UG  US  7’  iS. 


189 


as  valiantly  and  as  vainly  as  before,  was  now  hopelessly  shut  up  in  its  fort¬ 
ress. 

As  I  went  back  to  the  village  of  Gorze  to  pass  the  night,  I  turned  at 
the  last  point  to  look  upon  the  battle-field.  It  was  a  long,  earth-bound 
cloud,  with  two  vast  fires  of  burning  buildings  at  either  end.  The  day 
had  been  beautiful  so  far  as  nature  was  concerned,  and  the  stars  now 
looked  down  in  splendor  upon  a  work  of  agony  and  death  such  as  no  one 
could  ever  wish  to  see  again. 

THE  KING. 

For  ten  hours  the  King  was  exposed  to  the  enemy’s  fire.  He  had  taken 
a  seat  near  a  garden  wall,  close  to  Rezonville.  A  worsted  spinning  factory 
on  fire  near  by  illuminated  the  royal  headquarters. 

A  ladder,  one  end  resting  on  a  pair  of  scales  and  the  other  on  a  dead 
horse,  furnished  a  seat  for  His  Majesty.  He  was  accompanied  by  Prince 
Charles,  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe- Weimar,  Count  Von  Bismarck,  and 
Minister  of  War  Von  Roon. 

The  deepest  silence  reigned,  when  suddenly  Gen.  Von  Moltke,  gasping 
for  breath,  approached  and  cried,  “Your  Majesty,  we  have  conquered  !  ” 
“Hurrah  !  ”  was  the  response,  and  the  party,  all  life  now,  began  a  frugal 
supper  of  soldiers’  brown  bread. 

SECOND  ACCOUNT  (GRAVELOTTE). 

The  following  vivid  account  of  Gravelotte  was  written  by  the 
Rev.  M.  D.  Conway  from  the  battle-field,  for  the  New  York 
World: 

Gravelotte,  August  18. — As  I  passed  up  from  Gorze,  I  saw  an 
opening  into  a  beautifully  green  valley,  embowered,  and  with  a  soft  sward, 
and  thought  to  myself  that  it  was  fit  to  be  the  haunt  of  artists  and  thinkers, 
who  loved  solitude.  Shortly  after,  I  found  that  this  very  valley  was  one 
centre  of  the  bloody  struggle.  It  holds  the  very  “quarries  of  Jaumont  ” 
into  which  M.  Palikao  said  the  French  had  repulsed  the  Prussians.  Over  this 
country,  then,  upon  which  art  and  nature  have  united  to  put  the  most 
exquisite  finish,  I  saw  scattered  already 

SOME  THOUSANDS  OK  MASSACRED  MEN, 

and  in  the  distance  the  vast  din,  the  shriek,  the  roar,  the  mad  shout  —  as  the  weird,  de¬ 
moniac  work  went  on. 

I  hurry  on  to  the  spot  where  King  William  is  standing  with  his  military  cabinet  around 
him.  The  old  King,  stout,  and  somewhat  heavy,  looks  upon  the  scene  before  him  with  a 
certain  wonder.  A  herald  on  horseback  dashes  in  with  a  despatch  in  his  hand  —  “  for  the 
King  !  ”  While  it  is  being  read  nominally  for  King  Wilhelm,  really  for  General  Von 
Moltke, 

THE  KING  NESTLES 

between  Count  Bismarck  and  Moltke,  like  a  child.  I  fancy  the  old  man  is  getting  too  aged 
now  for  his  faculties  to  be  in  a  very  active  condition.  No  one  seeing  these  officers 
could  help  remarking  how  fine-looking  they  are.  Tall,  shapely,  handsome,  richly-dressed, 
they  made  a  magnificent  show  on  the  field,  even  more  as  they  stood  for  an  hour  or  so,  than 
when  mounted.  Count  Bismarck  stood  with  his  eagle  eye  piercing  to  the  far  confines  of 
the  battle-field,  as  if  he  would  search  out  every  individual  Frenchman  in  the  ranks.  He 
paced  up  and  down  for  a  time,  speaking  to  no  one.  Then  he  would  go  and  chat  a  little 


190 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


with  General  Sheridan.  Then  he  built  himself  a  seat  of  the  knapsacks  of  fallen  soldiers, 
and  sat  gazing  upon  the  long  line  of  the  French,  who  seemed  to  stand  as  an  immovable 
wall.  At  length  the  Count  went  to  a  small  shelter  of  canvas,  and  stretched  his  great 
form  on  the  ground,  as  one  who  would  sleep.  His  eyes  did  not  close  an  instant. 

There  was  another  messenger.  The  Count  gained  his  feet  by  one  leap.  He  glanced 
beyond  Rezonville,  toward  the  road,  and  saw  the  French  line  begin  to  waver.  Then 

HIS  EYES  SHONE  WITH  FIRE. 

Fie  sprang  to  his  horse,  the  whole  party  following  his  example,  and  they  rode  to  a  nearer 
position,  where,  with  burials  of  the  dead  going  on  all  around  them,  they  watched  the  pro¬ 
cess  of  multiplying  the  already  horrible  host  of  the  dead.  As  they  rode  on,  they  passed  by 
a  point  where,  on  a  space  of  twenty  yards  square,  lay  piled  thirty-one  dead  men,  and  seven 
horses,  French  and  Prussians  mingled  and  mangled  together  in  a  way  that  I  count  it  a 
misfortune  to  have  seen. 

There  are  brilliant  parties  of  uhlans  dashing  forward  upon  their  chargers.  A  regiment 
of  them  has  just  passed  us,  shouting  “  hurrah  !  ”  and  darting  away  until  they  are  lost  to 
my  eye  in  the  smoke  and  din  about  the 

VILLAGE  OF  GRAVELOTTE. 

But  on  the  whole,  the  cavalry  seem  to  me  to  be  at  this  juncture,  in  a  strictly  military 
sense,  more  ornamental  than  useful.  The  men  who  are  doing  the  work  are  those  fellows 
whom  I  see  fighting  their  way  inch  by  inch,  purchasing  every  yard  of  their  advance  with 
a  thousand  lives.  It  was  after  these  brave  fellows  on  foot,  with  losses  such  as  I  shudder  to 
think  of,  had  at  last  convinced  the  French  commander  that  to  hold  on  the  road  by  Gravel- 
otte  was  impossible,  and  the  effort  to  do  it  mere  sacrifice  of  life  —  it  was  after  these  with  dog¬ 
ged  pertinacity  had  at  last  slowly  forced  back  the  French  line,  that  it  alone  became  safe 
for  the  King  to  go  nearer,  attended  by  his  officers  and  lancers. 

During  all  this  fighting,  I  have  seen  nothing  that  looks  like  brilliant  fighting,  manceu- 
vring,  fine  and  swift  combinations  —  nothing  whatever.  The  men  have  been  set  before 
each  other  in  ranks,  and  they  fire  at  and  kill  each  other  ;  when  one  rank  on  either  side  is 
destroyed,  another  is  put  forward  in  the  same  place.  At  one  o’clock,  I  observed  a  large 
mass  of  troops  midway  the  village  of  Gravelotte,  standing  on  this  side  of  it,  so  still  that 
they  seemed  to  the  naked  eye  like  masses  of  humanly-shaped  black  rock.  Looking  at 
them  through  the  glass,  they  were  plainly  fighting,  and  fighting  very  hard.  The  outline  of 
this  mass  of  men  hardly  changed.  Reverting  to  it  from  time  to  time,  it  could  be  seen  that 
it  was  shrinking  in  dimensions.  About  five  o’clock,  it  had  vanished  into  the  village.  About 
5.30,  about  two-thirds  of  the  same  mass  crept  with  similar  slowness  out  on  the  other  side 
of  the  village.  At  every  other  point,  something  of  the  same  kind  appeared,  which  seemed 
to  indicate  that  the  age  of  great  generalship  has  made  way  before  the  “  pegging  away”  sys¬ 
tem  of  warfare. 

If  war  comes  to  be  the  mere  deciding  of  which  of  two  nations  can  hold  out  longest  in 
losing  men,  might  the  same  end  not  be  reached  by  simply  comparing  the  census  of  each 
with  the  other  ? 

The  French  were  driven  out  of  and  beyond  Gravelotte,  that  is,  at  their  centre,  at  a  com¬ 
paratively  early  period.  But  all  the  more  did  they  concentrate  themselves  on  the  two 
sides.  On  the  moment  when  they  (the  French)  seemed  to  be  inclining  to  co-operate  on 
their  right  with  those  who  were  contending  with  Steinmetz,  that  general 

ORDERED  A  CAVALRY  CHARGE 

up  the  great  Metz  road,  at  the  point  where  it  cuts  a  deep  ravine  through  from  Gravelotte 
below,  to  St.  Hubert  on  the  height.  That  was  the  wildest  movement,  apparently,  of  the 
struggle.  The  charge  was  made,  I  doubt  not,  with  the  intention  of  preventing  any  co-op¬ 
eration  of  the  French  centre  with  its  right,  by  cutting  in  between  them.  It  would  also  for 
the  time  have  covered  the  road,  by  which  the  infantry  might  climb  to  the  height  beyond 
the  “carrieres”  which  the  French  were  holding.  These  ends  may  have  been  partially 
accomplished  by  the  cavalry  charge  ;  but  if  so,  it  was  accomplished  by  the  sacrifice  of 
the  large  number  of  them.  The  French  right  fought  against  heavy  odds.  The  whole 
landscape  in  front  of  them  was  darkened  by  soldiers  ;  and  with  all  their  gallantry  and 
heroism,  they  gradually  (in  the  course  of  three  hours)  lost  their  hold  on  the  road,  falling 
back  to  Malmaison,  and  m  two  hours  more  losing  their  hold  even  on  that  point. 

A  little  after  four  o’clock,  there  came  over  the  hill  across  the  point  which  had  been  the 
King’s  headquarters  in  the  morning,  a  new  army  altogether.  It  did  not  come  from  the 
direction  of  Pont-a-Mousson,  nor  from  the  north,  but  straight  from  the  east.  So  exactly 
from  the  east  did  this  army  come,  that  when  their  bayonets  were  seen  in  the  distance 
against  the  horizon,  there  was  a  sort  of  panic  at  the  front,  where  we  stood,  and  a  cry  that 
they  were  French  troops  just  arriving  with  MacMahon  to  attack  the  Prussians  in  the  rear. 
This,  as  you  may  readily  judge,  was  a  civilian’s  panic  ;  but  certainly  it  was  a  curious  prob¬ 
lem  for  many  besides  civilians  to  know  what  corps  this  was.  I  asked  an  officer  whose  men 
they  were.  “It  will  be  known,”  he  replied  with  a  smile,  “  when  the  history  of  the  war  is 
written.”  The  current  explanation  is,  that  they  were  a  corps  from  the  army  of  the  Crown 
Prince. 


GRAVELOTTE ,  AUGUST  iS. 


191 


This  corps  did  not  go  into  battle.*  It  stood  ready  to  crush  any  victorious  French  body 
that  should  have  cut  its  way  through  to  the  Verdun  road. 

THIS  WAS  THE  HOPELESSNESS 

of  the  French  case.  Their  every  army  had  to  confront  tvVo  armies,  their  every  man  two 
men. 

At  the  same  time  it  should  be  said,  injustice  to  the  Prussians,  that  the  French  held  the 
commanding  heights  of  the  field.  The  Prussians  had  to  fight  up  hill  from  the  time  they 
left  Gravelotte  at  their  backs.  The  French  position  was  equal  to  an  army  corps,  and  noth¬ 
ing  but  the  willingness  of  the  .Germans  to  spend  their  last  man  in  that  one  conflict,  ever 
drove  them  from  it. 

On  the  Prussian  right,  General  Goeben  had  as  much  as  he  could  do.  The  French  on 
that  side  had  their  artillery  in  perfect  position,  and  there  they  held  on  until  after  dark. 
They  shelled  all  the  roads,  all  the  woods,  along  which  the  Prussian  reinforcements  were 
advancing,  finally  forcing  them  to  abandon  that  path  altogether.  The  soldiers  who  were 
wounded  on  that  side  of  the  battle-field  —  with  many  of  whom  I  have  conversed  to-day  — 
told  me  that  the  mitrailleuse  told  upon  their  ranks  with  such  effect,  that  whenever  they 
heard  its  peculiar  sound,  they  knew  that  they  were  weaker  than  before.  Whatever  officers 
may  think  or  say,  one  who  has  to-day  mingled  with  the  rank  and  file  will  recognize  very 
plainly  that 

THE  MITRAILLEUSE 

has  become  to  them  a  terror.  So  fearful  were  the  wounds  made  by  it  —  almost  always  fa¬ 
tal  —  that  a  rumor  prevailed  to-day  that  the  balls  were  explosive.  I  picked  up  many 
boxes  which  held  their  balls,  as  they  lay  unused  and  scattered  on  the  field,  and  was  una¬ 
ble  to  find  one  that  was  not  quite  as  solid  as  the  ball  of  the  chassepot  or  the  needle- 

gun- 

The  King  and  his  party  remained  on  the  battle-field  until  the  last  gun  was  fired  ;  they 
then  went  to  Rezonville  to  pass  the  night.  But  it  was  no  easy  matter.  The  men  of  the 
red  cross,  who  alone  war  against  pain  and  death,  had  already  borne  a  very  large  number 
of  the  wounded  into  all  the  villages,  and  the  always  small  accommodations  of  Rezonville 
were  insufficient  to  afford  lodgings  to  the  generals,  except  the  wounded  were  removed.  Of 
this  none  of  the  royal  party  would  hear.  A  small  room  was  found  for  the  King,  but  the 
rest, 

MOLTKE,  BISMARCK,  AND  THREE  PRINCES, 

slept  on  the  floor,  on  straw.  They  supped  together  before  retiring,  the  supper  consisting 
only  of  black  bread,  and  very  fat  cold  pork. 

In  any  of  these  houses,  one  may  see  Prussians  and  Frenchmen  tenderly  assisting  each 
other,  and  they  not  unfrequentlv,  when  either  knows  the  language  of  the  other,  are  found 
conversing  upon  the  war  and  its  causes,  without  coming  to  high  words. 

At  daybreak,  this  morning,  new  regiments  fresh  from  Germany  were  still  arriving  in 
great  numbers.  A  long  train  of  provision  wagons  was  started  westward,  on  the  direct  road 
to  Paris.  It  is  plain  there  is  to  be  no  delay  in  the  progress  of  the  army  towards  that  city. 
The  officers  and  soldiers  generally  name  a  week  as  the  longest  time  it  can  take  them  to 
reach  and  enter  Paris. 

The  scene  to-day  has  been  sad  in  the  extreme.  The  King  has  been  visiting  the 
wounded,  and  personally  thanking  and  encouraging  his  soldiers.  Bismarck  and  Prince 
Frederick  Carl  and  Prince  Carl,  and  Lieutenant-General  Sheridan,  have  been  riding  over 
the  field. 

Sheridan  said  :  “  The  Prussians  are  winning ,  but  it  costs  them  dear.” 

But  just  outside  of  the  villages  there  have  been  dreary,  touching  scenes  they  have  not 
seen.  There,  young  French  girls  —  beautiful  girls,  of  good  position  —  are  hiding,  crouch¬ 
ing,  terrified,  with  nothing  to  eat,  little  to  wear,  their  homes  smoking  ruins,  their  friends 
they  know  not  where. 

It  became  plain  by  five  o’clock,  that  the  French  could  not  regain  what  they  had  lost  — 
that  they  were  defeated.  Yet  for  three  hours  thereafter  the  battle  was  more  desperate  than 
at  any  other  time.  Nay,  after  dark  the  French  tried  to  cut  their  way  to  the  road  on  the 
right  and  left 

BY  A  FURIOUS  ONSLAUGHT, 

but  they  only  added  more  to  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded  on  each  side.  The  last  roll  of 
musketry  was  heard  far  on  toward  nine  o’clock.  For  ten  minutes  the  bombs  darted  and 
burst  over  the  cloud  of  smoke  like  meteors.  Then  ail  became  silent.  After  a  pause  a  loud 
shout  of  victory  rang  round  the  German  lines,  caught  from  rank  to  rank,  and  echoed  on 


*  These  reinforcements  were  the  Third  and  Tenth  Corps  (Alvensleben  and  Von  Voigts 
Rhetz)  of  Prince  Charles’  army,  which,  on  account  of  having  been  fearfully  decimated  in 
the  battle  of  Mars-la-Tour,  had  been  kept  in  reserve.  The  fact  that  their  existence  could 
not  be  accounted  for  by  the  King,  proves  on  what  a  large  scale  the  battle  was  fought.  They 
were  under  the  immediate  command  of  Prince  Charles,  and  their  evolutions  would  not  be 
known  to  the  King.  The  Crown  Prince  was  fifty  miles  away  towards  Bar-le-Duc,  moving 
after  MacMahon. 


192 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USS IAN  WAR. 


the  far.  verges  of  the  vast  army,  and  then  again  there  was  a  deep  stillness,  broken  only 
by  the  groans  of  the  poor  sufferers,  who  could  hear  the  pscan  only  with  dying  ears.  A 
few  burning  houses  shot  up  pillars  of  fire,  which  stood  as  monuments  of  the  day  of  devas¬ 
tation.  Near  the  little  village  of  Flavigny,  I  met  two  young  girls,  bareheaded.  One  of 
them  had  in  her  apron  about  a  pint  of  rice.  “  Ah,  mon  Dicu  /  mon  Dieu  /  ”  one  of  them 
exclaimed,  “what  shall  we  do?”  “  Do  you  live  here?”  I  asked.  “We  did  live  in  the 
house  at  the  corner  there,”  pointing  to  some  blackened  walls,  the  interior  of  which  was 
just  sinking  into  ashes. 

“  NOW  ALL  WE  HAD  IS  BURNT  UP. 

Our  friends  have  run  away,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  gone.  Last  night  we 
slept  on  the  ground  in  the  field  out  there.”  They  then  sat  down  on  the  side  of  the  street, 
and  wept.  “  Here  is  some  bread,”  said  a  rough  German  soldier,  drawing  his  whole  ration 
from  his  haversack.  His  were  not  the  only  eyes  that  were  wet. 

The  field  was  covered  with  rifles,  swords,  and  all  manner  of  accoutrements.  They 
are  collected  and  guarded  carefully.  An  officer  permitted  me  to  take  away  a  French 
sword  as  a  souvenir,  for  no  Prussian  will  wear  a  sword  that  has  been  raised  against  his 
country.  No  Prussian  sword  is  allowed  to  be  touched  under  any  circumstances.  There  is 
a  custom  of  firing  off  every  rifle  they  find  on  the  field  loaded,  and  they  do  it  rather  care¬ 
lessly.  A  bullet  passed  uncomfortably  near  my  head  from  one  of  the  arms  so  discharged  ; 
and  the  ignorance  of  a  German  concerning  the  chassepots  which  he  was  collecting  to-day, 
cost  a  Prussian  colonel  his  life,  * 

I  passed  to  the  most  advanced  line  of  the  Prussian  army  —  not  without  some  nervous¬ 
ness —  for  it  was  not  known  how  soon  a  shell  from  the  French  might  announce  the  renewal 
of  hostilities.  From  that  point,  with  the  aid  of  my  glass,  I  saw  the  French  in  their  camp 
on  the  hill  St.  Quentin,  in  front  of  Metz.  They  seemed,  however,  to  be  busy  about  other 
matters  than  fighting,  and  their  activity  was  no  doubt  the  preparation  for  a  complete  re¬ 
tirement  within  the  walls  of  Metz.  There  is  nothing  whatever  left  to  prevent  the  Prus¬ 
sians  from  taking  possession  of  any  position  they  please  in  the  surrounding  country. 
The  French  are  hermetically  sealed  in  Metz. 

Friday,  August  19. —  Napoleon  at  Chalons.  De  Failly 
reaches  Chalons  after  disastrous  losses.  Canrobert  in  Metz. 
The  Crown  Prince  at  Bar-le-Duc  and  Vitry-le-Frangaise. 
Metz  invested  by,  S.teinmetz  and  Prince  Charles.  Strasburg 
bombarded,  and  twelve  houses  in  Kehl  burned.  Gen.  Von 
Werder  protests  against  the  bombardment  of  Kehl,  an  unde¬ 
fended  city. 

By  Imperial  order,  a  Committee  of  Defence  is  formed  in  Par¬ 
is,  consisting  of  General  Trochu,  president ;  Marshal  Variant, 
Admiral  Rigault  de  Genouilly,  Baron  Jerome  David,  General 
De  la  Tour,  General  Guiod,  General  D’Autemarre  D’Erville, 
and  General  Soumain.  It  possesses  the  fullest  powers. 

FRENCH  BLUNDERS. 

{Correspondence  of  Pall  Mall  Gazette.') 

NAPOLEON  UP. 

Camp  of  Chalons,  August  19. — ■  When  Napoleon  started  from  Paris, 
three  trains  were  hardly  sufficient  to  carry  his  carriages,  furniture,  and  equip¬ 
ages  of  all  sorts.  Even  his  generals  and  aides-de-camp  took  with  them 
their  plate  and  linen,  and  every  possible  comfort.  They  imagined  they 
were  going  to  war  like  Satraps.  General  Frossard,  at  the  battle  of  For- 


FRIDAY ,  AUGUST  ig. 


193 


bach,  remained  at  table  having  his  dinner  till  four  o’clock,  while  his  division 
was  being  cut  to  pieces,  and,  when  his  aides-de-camp  came  in  to  tell  him 
things  were  going  wrong,  he  answered  them,  smoking  his  cigar,  that  it 
would  be  all  right,  for  he  had  taken  all  his  measures!  Such  things  are  most 
incredible,  but  when  they  are  told  by  eye-witnesses  who  have  been  the  suf¬ 
ferers  of  all  that  abominable  system  of  favoritism,  and  who  still  suffer,  and 
are  ready  to  suffer  again,  and  die  without  a  complaint,  one  must  believe 
them. 

NAPOLEON  DOWN. 

The  Emperor,  whom  I  caught  sight  of  this  morning,  is  altered  to  a  de¬ 
gree  one  could  not  imagine  possible,  He  is  old-looking,  but  besides  being 
aged,  he  looks  blotchy  and  puffy,  and  withal  quite  impotent  and  helpless. 
A  gentleman  who  was  with  me,  to  whom  I  told  the  change  I  noticed,  an¬ 
swered  by  a  sentence  that  struck  me :  “  II  est  pourri ,  et  sa  pourriture  a 
amene  celle  de  I  Empire."  As  for  the  Prince  Imperial,  all  he  can  do  is  to 
call  out  for  his  papa.  He  came  up  to  an  officer  of  the  Cent  Gardes  with 
whom  I  was  talking,  and  asked  us  if  we  had  seen  his  papa.  I  am  told  he 
asks  for  his  papa  if  he  loses  sight  of  him  for  ten  minutes. 

FOOLISH  GENERALS. 

I  have  met  here  the  officers  of  the  Forty-ninth  Infantry,  who  have  just 
arrived  here  from  Bitche,  where  they  were  with  De  Failly.  They  have 
given  me  several  astounding  proofs  of  the  more  than  foolish  conduct  of 
that  General,  and  also  of  the  incredible  incapacity  of  French  Generals, 
who  were  thought  for  a  long  time  by  the  world  to  be  the  most  learned  cap¬ 
tains  of  Europe.  The  day  of  the  battle  of  Reichshoffen,  they  say  M.  De 
Failly  would  have  been  in  plenty  of  time  to  reach  the  scene  of  action.  The 
cannon  were  distinctly  heard  ahead,  but  he  kept  every  three  or  four  miles 
making  halts  of  an  hour  or  more  ;  and  when  they  retreated  they  marched 
for  twenty-four  hours  without  lying  down.  They  had  no  food,  and  they 
arrived  here  marching  every  day,  and  sometimes  in  the  night,  without  the 
corps  having  any  distribution  made  to  them  the  whole  time.  The  officers 
say  they  do  not  know  how  the  men  lived,  for  they  only  had  what  they 
begged  at  the  doors  of  villagers.  As  to  the  officers,  they  only  had  what 
they  could  get  from  the  men.  The  number  of  stragglers  was  incredible,  and 
they  say  some  regiments  were  300,  400,  and  even  500  men  short,  who 
are  still  in  the  villages  through  which  they  have  passed.  They  have  re¬ 
mained  eating  and  drinking  with  the  peasantry,  who  have  been  heard  to 
say  they  had  rather  have  Prussians  than  such  guests  as  these ;  for  those  sol¬ 
diers  who  have  remained  behind  in  that  way  are  the  scum  of  their  respect¬ 
ive  regiments. 

BLUNDERS,  BUT  NO  DISCIPLINE. 

Discipline  is  entirely  destroyed  in  that  corps.  The  officer  who  was  tell¬ 
ing  me  this  was  nearly  stabbed  by  one  of  his  own  regiment,  whom  he  was 
punishing  for  firing  off  his  rifle  in  the  midst  of  a  village,  alarming  the 
whole  column,  which  is  a  very  serious  thing.  As  for  the  ignorance  of  the 
i  staff,  on  a  night  march,  the  General  had  to  ask  his  way  at  the  junction  of 
two  high  roads  in  France  from  a  peasant.  There  was  not  a  map  or  a  field- 
1  glass  among  the  whole  staff,  and  on  one  occasion  they  had  to  send  to  a 
1\  small  railway  station  to  borrow  one,  where  they  obtained  one  which  con- 
!'  cerned  only  race-horses.  They  have  since  sent  to  Paris  for  some  at  the 
9 


194 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


War  Office  whence,  by  mistake  they  have  received  maps  of  Africa,  which 
will  not  be  very  useful  for  the  Department  of  the  Meuse. 

STARVING  SOLDIERS. 

The  French  papers  keep  on  saying  the  French  army  is  perfectly  provis¬ 
ioned,  and  so  it  is  at  Chalons  ;  but  all  the  regiments  that  have  been  em¬ 
ployed  and  moving,  have  but  one  story  to  tell,  viz.,  that  they  have  been 
starved.  It  is  enough  to  see  their  faces,  to  guess  what  they  had  gone 
through ;  they  are  gaunt  and  thin  ;  as  for  the  color  of  their  faces,  the  sun 
alone  could  not  give  it.  They  have  slept  night  after  night  in  fields  flooded 
with  water  ;  they  have  lived  upon  crusts  of  bread,  or  potatoes  which  they 
stole  in  the  fields  ;  their  beards  are  grown  ;  in  short,  they  don’t  look  like 
men. 

THE  EMPEROR  BUTCHERS  250,000  FRENCHMEN  And’  GERMANS. 

A  distinguished  officer,  William  de  Robau,  writing  to  a  British  journal, 
thus  unmasks  the  real  situation  : 

It  seems  incredible,  from  what  we  as  yet  know,  that  any  one  man  could  so 
deliberately  have  plunged  a  country  suddenly  into  war  with  not  one  single 
arm  of  the  naval  or  military  services  really  prepared,  but  such  is  the  fact ; 
and  it  was  within  my  personal  observation  at  the  camp  lately,  that  whole 
divisions  went  into  action  in  a  literally  famishing  condition,  as  well  as  defi¬ 
cient  in  drill  and  general  efficiency.  Of  about  450,000  men  sent  to  the  front, 
up  to  September  1,  it  is  my  serious  opinion,  from  ocular  evidence,  that  not 
over  200,000  were  really  in  a  state  of  discipline  or  drill  fit  to  face  even  an 
ordinary  enemy,  let  alone  such  an  army  as  that  of  confederate  Germany. 
“  Turcos”  and  “  mitrailleuses”  alone  were  relied  on  as  balancing  all  and 
every  deficiency,  and  when  the  irresistible  impetuosity  of  the  Germans  de¬ 
molished  those  two  military  fallacies — for  such  I  hold  them  to  be  —  why, 
the  collapse  was  fearful,  terrible  beyond  precedent.  I  believe  it  quite  with¬ 
in  the  mark  to  set  down  the  number  hors  de  combat  of  the  two  armies, 
French  and  German,  at  not  less  than  400,000,  of  which  fully  250,000  are 
dead,  or  badly  maimed  for  life ;  of  the  numbers  killed  outright,  it  is  not 
easy  to  speak  definitely,  as  fully  fifty  per  cent  of  the  merely  wounded  perished 
on  the  field  where  they  fell,  from  want  of  ambulance  and  hospital  care.  I 
remember  seeing  one  trench  fully  a  kilometre  long,  wherein  at  least  10,000 
German  and  French  dead  were  indiscriminately  huddled,  many  bodies  not 
yet  quite  cold.  People  are  naturally  saddened,  not  despairing,  but  quite 
the  other  way,  though  in  my  humble  opinion  I  believe  Paris  utterly  inde¬ 
fensible  under  the  circumstances,  and  against  such  an  army  as  the  German  ; 
but  there  is  no  one  to  utter  the  word  “surrender,”  and  if  the  Germans 
will  persist  in  attacking  Paris,  why  they  will  only  enter  it  as  Sebastopol 
was  entered.  I  believe  there  is  no  gasconade  in  the  determination  thus  ex¬ 
pressed,  and  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  Germany  will  eventually  regret  a 
war  of  extermination  against  a  nation  which  was  literally  driven  blind-fold¬ 
ed  into  it,  like  sheep  to  the  slaughter  ;  war  is  one  thing,  but  this  campaign 
has  been  butchery,  not  war. 

THE  PRUSSIANS  CIVILIZED. 

France  does  not  suffer  what  is  technically  called  “  the  horrors  of 
war.”  Young  girls  stand  at  the  cottage  doors  in  the  villages,  or  street  cor- 


SA  TURD  A  V,  A  UGUST  20. 


195 


ners,  to  see  the  soldiers  pass,  and  are  not  harmed  by  them.  The  shops  open 
in  the  towns  are  not  plundered.  Peaceable  citizens  go  about  their  business 
without  fear  for  life  and  limb.  It  is  essentially  civilized  war  in  these  re¬ 
spects.  But  fruit  and  vegetables  are  taken  along  the  wayside,  horses  are 
pressed  into  the  service,  soldiers  are  quartered  on  the  people,  and  large  sup¬ 
plies  of  food  are  demanded  from  the  local  authorities. 

WAR  PICTURES. 

Murat  Halsted  thus  writes  to  the  Cincinnati  Commercial : 

Those  who  paint  battles  are  generally  sycophants.  In  Meissonier’s  “  Sol- 
ferino  ”  there  is  not  much  to  be  seen  beside  the  Emperor  and  his  horse. 
The  galleries  at  Versailles  are  disgusting  in  the  everlasting  adulation  of  roy¬ 
alty.  Your  picture  of  a  battle  consists  principally  of  a  king,  or  emperor, 
or  marshal,  on  a  portentous  horse  in  an  impossible  attitude  and  incredible 
situation.  So  when  the  Prussians  paint  the  battle  of  Gravelotte  the  fea¬ 
ture  will  be  King  William  on  his  steed,  dashing  dreadfully  at  a  staggering 
square  of  infatuated  Frenchmen,  and  my  only  consolation  will  be  in  mak¬ 
ing  oath  that  the  stalwart  and  superb  old  monarch  did  nothing  of  the  kind. 
The  scene  on  the  hill  at  three  o’clock:  The  King,  with  Prince  Frederick 
Charles  and  Baron  Moltke,  and  a  glittering  company  of  princes  and  high¬ 
nesses,  and  great  captains  and  shining  staff  officers  —  and  Count  Bismarck, 
lying  in  his  waterproof  overcoat  on  the  ground,  supporting  his  puissant 
head  in  the  white  cap,  with  the  red  band,  on  a  hairy  French  knapsack  — 
and  Phil.  Sheridan  a  few  steps  aside  and  ahead,  with  his  field-glass  stead¬ 
fastly  on  the  fight,  and  the  King’s  carriage  with  the  oriental  servant  on  the 
right,  the  slope  of  the  hill  toward  the  battle  littered  with  dead  horses  — 
the  burial  party  between  the  hills  (if  we  may  speak  of  hills  in  merely  a  roll¬ 
ing  plain)  dragging  head  and  heels  the  fallen  heroes  into  the  broad,  but 
not  deep  trench,  where  the  ripe  fruit  of  ambition  is  gathered  ;  the  next 
slope  facing  westward  so  covered  with  dead,  that  the  resemblance  to  a 
flock  of  sleepy  sheep  lying  among  red  rags  is  striking  and  obvious.'  Take 
this  scene,  and  for  a  background  give  us  a  village  with  a  single  sharp  stub 
of  a  spire,  and  a  burning  house,  a  few  dark  lines  and  a  great  deal  of  smoke, 
and  if  the  artist  had  the  root  of  the  matter  in  him,  and  did  not  elaborate 
the  king  too  much,  he  might  produce  a  picture  not  absolutely  absurd,  as 
are  nearly  all  the  war  pictures  in  the  world. 

Saturday,  August  20. —  Reported  attempt  of  Bazaine  to  cut 
his  way  through  the  German  army.  Prussians  on  short  rations 
in  front  of  Metz.  Opposition  to  Napoleon  commences  in 
Paris.  Republicans  begin  to  talk  treason  against  the  Empire. 
The  King  at  Pont-a-Mousson.  Marshal  MacMahon  appoint¬ 
ed  commander  of  the  First,  Fourth,  Seventh,  and  Twelfth 
Corps,  General  Lebrun  receiving  command  of  the  last  named 
in  place  of  General  Trochu. 


106 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


MACMAHON  TO  THE  MINISTER  OF  WAR. 

Camp  of  Chalons,  August  20,  1870,  8.45  a.  m. 

The  intelligence  which  has  reached  me  seems  to  show  that  the  three 
armies  of  the  enemy  are  placed  so  as  to  intercept  Bazaine  on  the  roads  of 
Briey,  Verdun,  and  St.  Michiel.  Not  knowing  the  direction  of  Bazaine’s 
retreat,  although  I  am  ready  to  march,  I  think  I  shall  remain  in  the  camp 
until  I  have  knowledge  of  the  direction  taken  by  Bazaine,  whether  to  the 
north  or  south.  Marshal  MacMahon. 

The  Minister  of  War,  in  reply,  says: 

20TH,  3.40  P.  M. 

The  only  information  I  can  give  you  is  the  following :  On  the  iSth. 
in  the  evening,  Bazaine  occupied  the  line  from  Amanvillers  to  Tussy. 

SORTIE  AT  METZ. 

Metz,  August  20. —  Marshal  Bazaine,  at  the  head  of  the  French  troops, 
made  a  most  desperate  effort,  just  at  daybreak  this  morning,  to  cut  his  way 
through  the  Prussian  investing  line.  He  was  met  instantly  by  the  Prussians 
in  great  force,  and,  after  three  hours  of  desperate  fighting,  repulsed  with  a 
loss  to  the  French.  The  Prussians  are  on  half  rations,  the  First  Prussian 
army  having  now  occupied  the  same  region  for  some  days,  and  the  country 
all  about  being  eaten  out ;  but  supplies  are  hourly  expected,  and  the  men 
are  cheerful. 

FIRST  GLEAM  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  Republicans  don’t  care  to  push  things  much  faster  than 
they  ar£  going  ;  they  do  not,  at  least,  want  to  declare  a  repub¬ 
lic  now.  The  nearest  to  a  conclusion  reached  last  Friday  by 
about  a  hundred  of  them,  members  of  the  Left,  journalists 
and  others,  was  to  wait  and  watch  the  growing  chance.  At  a 
later  and  much  smaller  meeting,  or  interview,  between  a  dozen 
Republicans  and  Gambetta,  the  latter  being  asked  whether  Pal- 
ikao  deserved  all  the  trust  he  seemed  to  place  in  him,  answered, 
“Yes,  because  he  is  a  traitor.” 

Gambetta,  young  as  he  is,  shows  more  of  the  quality  of  a 
political  leader  than  anybody  else  in  the  Chamber,  except  the 
Nestor,  Thiers.  The  real  trouble  is  the  old  one  :  the  party  is 
all  heads  and  no  body.  As  Beranger  long  since  said,  “  There 
is  no  one  for  Vice-President.”  But  the  mill  even  now  has  be¬ 
gun  to  grind  Napoleonism  pretty  hard,  crushing  it  finely  and 
not  slowly.  The  Napoleonists  are  already  bolting,  and  getting 
ready  to  bolt. 

You  hear  treason  constantly  in  the  open  streets  and  cafes. 
Spies,  if  any  still  remain,  may  listen  and  be  welcome.  Even 


SUNDAY,  AUGUST  21. 


197 


the  American  tourists  and  residents  are  cooling  in  their  admir¬ 
ation  for  the  Emperor.  As  for  Trochu,  the  Parisians  have  al¬ 
ready  nicknamed  him  “  Ollivier  on  a  war-footing .”  Ollivier 
himself  kept  his  promise  to  support  his  successors,  by  quitting 
the  Chamber.  Rarely  before  has  he  been  so  faithful  to  his 
word. 


PRINCE  AUGUSTUS  TO  THE  GUARDS. 

The  commander  of  the  Corps  of  Guards,  Prince  Augustus  of  Wiirtem- 
berg,  which  suffered  so  cruelly  at  Gravelotte,  issues  the  following  order. 
His  men,  numbering  35,000,  are  said  to  have  lost  one-fifth  of  their  force. 

Soldiers  of  the  Corps  of  Guards, —  In  a  bloody  battle  God  has  given  us  victory  —  a 
victory  which  we  only  now  see  in  all  its  extent  and  greatness.  The  Corps  of  Guards  has 
been  able  to  contribute  in  a  prominent  manuer  to  the  achievement  of  that  victory.  All 
arms  have  rivalled  in  courage  and  endurance.  The  artillery  by  united  efforts  at  decisive 
points,  and  by  deliberate  and  correet  firing  even  where  exposed  to  the  shots  of  hostile 
lufanlry,  has  successfully  prepared  and  supported  the  attack  of  the  infantry.  The  storm¬ 
ing  of  the  villages  of  Ste.  Marie  aux  Chines  and  St.  Privat-la-Montagne,  each  surrounded 
with  stone  walis,  under  the  murderous  musketry  fire  of  the  enemy,  has  been  carried  out  in 
a  manner  which  is  above  all  praise.  Carried  away  by  the  example  of  their  officers,  the 
infantry,  with  the  sharpshooters  and  pioneers,  drove  the  enemy  from  a  position  considered 
by  him  unconquerable.  Our  losses  are  great  with  which  we  have  purchased  the  victory, 
but  Ste.  Marie  aux  Chines  and  St.  Privat-la-Montagne  are  glorious  laurels  which  you 
have  added  anew  to  the  brilliant  wreath  of  victories  of  the  Corps  of  Guards. 

Soldiers  of  the  Corps  of  Guards,  —  You  have  once  more  justified  the  confidence 
which  His  Majesty  our  most  gracious  King  has  ever  placed  in  his  Guards,  and  this  confi¬ 
dence  you  will  also  maintain  in  future.  I  am  proud  to  be  commander  of  such  a  corps. 
Hurrah  for  the  King  ! 

Bivouac  at  Ste.  Marie  aux  Chenes,  August  20,  1870. 

Sunday,  August  21.  —  General  Trochu  prepares  Paris  for  a 
siege.  Prince  Charles,  before  Metz,  lends  the  Crown  Prince 
two-and-a-half  army  corps  (the  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps  and 
cavalry  under  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony).  The  King  at 
Pont-a-Mousson.  Metz  to  be  starved  out.  Crown  Prince 
marching  on  Paris.  The  Emperor  at  Rheims.  A  decree 
dated  Rheims,  August  21,  signed  by  the  Emperor,  appoints 
MacMahon  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  of  Chalons  and 
Paris.  Blockade  of  the  East  Prussian  coast  declared.  Four 
French  ships  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Putzig ;  and  during  the  night 
the  German  corvette  Nymphe  steals  among  them,  and  delivers 
two  broadsides,  returning  safely  to  anchor. 

PARIS  MUST  STAND  A  SIEGE. 

Paris,  August  21.  —  General  Trochu  has  issued  another  proclamation, 
the  meaning  of  which  is,  that  Paris  will  have  to  stand  a  siege.  The  follow¬ 
ing  is  the  text  : 


198 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


To  the  National  Guard,  to  the  Garde  Mobile,  to  the  Troops  and  Seamen 
in  the  Army  of  Paris,  to  all  the  defenders  of  the  Capital. 

In  the  midst  of  events  of  the  highest  importance,  I  have  been  appointed 
Governor.  The  honor  is  great  —  the  peril  also.  I  depend  on  your  patri¬ 
otism.  Should  Paris  be  subjected  to  a  siege,  never  was  there  a  more 
magnificent  opportunity  to  prove  to  the  world  that  long  prosperity  has  not 
effeminated  the  country.  You  have  before  you  the  example  of  an  army 
which  has  fought  one  against  three.  Their  heroic  struggle  compels  the 
admiration  of  all.  Show  by  your  conduct  that  you  have  the  feeling  of  the 
profound  responsibility  resting  upon  you. 

FORWARD  GERMANY. 

Crown  Prince’s  Headquarters  (near  Toul).  — While  there  seemed  a 
chance  that  Napoleon  might  win  near  Metz,  it  was  necessary  to  hold  the 
Third  army  in  readiness  to  march  northward ;  and  so  while  battles  were 
raging  near  Metz,  this  army  lay  about  Nancy  and  Luneville,  half  expecting 
to  be  ordered  up  to  support  the  other  German  armies.  Then  came  news 
of  the  defeat  of  the  French  by  Steinmetz  and  Prince  Frederick  Charles. 
There  was  no  longer  any  need  to  hesitate  about  invading  Central  France, 
and  the  march  was  begun  of  which  you  will  soon  hear  the  results. 

There  is  a  straight  and  rapid  march  westward  of  the  Third  army,  sup¬ 
ported  by  other  troops.  Without  giving  details  of  the  movement,  it  is  to 
be  said  that  more  than  150,000  men,  full  of  confidence,  flushed  with  victory, 
and  splendidly  organized,  are  about  to  “beat  up  the  quarters”  of  the 
French. 

Three  or  four  columns  march  abreast  on  some  roads.  Two  go  by  the 
main  road  itself,  and  sometimes  two  more  move  through  the  fields  on  the 
right  and  left ;  at  least  one  other  column  makes  the  adjoining  fields  —  though 
the  marching  is  a  little  out  of  order,  it  serves  the  purpose  of  the  moment. 
Sometimes  there  are  great  blockings  and  crushes  of  the  moving  forces,  but 
on  the  whole  it  is  remarkable  how  well  the  columns  are  directed,  and  how 
carefully  their  routes  are  chosen  through  the  invaded  province. 

AUERBACH  AT  STRASBURG. 

( Translated  from  the  German.) 

Berthold  Auerbach,  who  has  been  summoned  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  has  commenced  a  series  of  letters  on  the  siege  of 
Strasburg.  The  most  recent  abound  in  picturesque  incidents  and  narra¬ 
tive  : 

August  21.  —  No  Sunday  bells  rang  out  in  all  Alsace  to-day;  not  the  less 
do  the  villagers  stream  out  from  every  hamlet  towards  the  churches.  The 
peasants  are  astonished  to  see  at  church  so  many  of  our  soldiers,  and  of 
higher  and  lower  officers,  all  attending  without  orders.  Wonderful  coinci¬ 
dence,  the  Gospel  lesson,  tenth  Sunday  after  Trinity,  was  Luke  xix.  41  : 
“  And  when  he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept  over  it,  saying, 
If  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which 
belong  unto  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days 
shall  come  u^jon  thee,  that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about  thee,  and 
compass  thee  round,  and  keep  thee  in  on  every  side,  and  shall  lay  thee  even 
with  the  ground,  and  thy  children  within  thee;  and  they  shall  not  leave  in 
thee  one  stone  upon  another  :  because  thou  knewest  not  the  time  of  thy 


SUNDAY,  AUGUST  21. 


100 


visitation.”  Is  it  not  strange  that  upon  this  day  the  text  should  fall?  for 
on  this  week  will  events  move  forward,  perhaps  even  the  destinies  be  de¬ 
cided  by  Strasburg,  the  city  stolen  by  the  French.  And  within  it  stands  a 
hallowed  relic  of  German  architecture  and  German  piety.  Evil  reports  fly 
about.  It  is  said  that  Commandant  Uhrich  has  declared  that  when  Stras¬ 
burg  can  no  longer  be  defended  from  the  German  forces,  he  will  blow  up  the 
Cathedral  and  lay  the  crime  upon  the  Germans.  That  would  be  a  sad 
prospect.  The  enclosing  of  which  the  Gospel  speaks,  fails  not.  By  Lam- 
bertheim  stand  2200  peasant  wagons.  Round  about,  in  all  the  villages  and 
on  the  roads,  cannon  of  every  calibre,  up  to  the  heaviest  siege,  advance,  with 
abundant  ammunition.  An  exchange  of  despatches  hurries  to,  and  fro.  Our 
pulses  beat  quicker.  We  have  plunged  into  the  whirl  of  an  historic  drama. 
The  arrogant  governor  of  Strasburg  citadel  must  no  longer  feel  secure ;  at 
least,  he  is  throwing  out  ballast.  This  morning  one  hundred  German 
soldiers,  who  had  served  in  the  Foreign  Legion,  were  thrust  out,  ten  at  a 
time,  at  all  the  doors,  with  the  threat  that  if  they  turned  round  they  should 
be  immediately  shot  down.  The  poor  wretches  stood  between  two  fires. 
Some  of  them  wore  French  uniforms,  and  were  naturally  regarded  by  our 
troops  as  Frenchmen.  As  they  neared  our  outposts  who  knows  how  many 
would  get  fired  upon  ?  I  saw  two  of  them  brought  in.  They  were  born 
Pomeranians,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  their  own  landsfolk.  The  expulsion 
of  these  people  may  be  regarded  as  a  symptom  that  discipline  inside  the  fort¬ 
ress  is  in  a  very  precarious  condition.  And  yet  it  is  said  the  commandant, 
simply  because  the  French  arms  have  suffered  defeat  in  the  open  field,  now 
declares  that  they  will  vindicate  their  honor  in  the  fortress.  But  after  what 
fashion  ?  By  the  sacrifice  of  a  beautiful  city  and  of  thousands  of  its  in¬ 
mates.  Is  that  to  be  called  a  vindication  of  honor  ?  How  much  effort  is 
made  on  our  side  to  show  forbearance,  is  evidenced  in  the  renewal  of  strict 
orders  to  spare,  even  in  the  minutest  details,  the  property  of  the  Alsatians. 

Monday,  August  22. — The  siege  of  Strasburg  continued. 
The  course  of  the  river  Ill  changed.  Bazaine  holds  all  his 
positions.  The  Crown  Prince  planning  an  advance  on  Paris. 
The  camp  at  Chalons  broken  up.  MacMahon  moving  to 
relieve  Bazaine,  with  120,000  men.  Destruction  of  the  Bois 
de  Boulogne.  480,000  Prussians  in  the  field.  MacMahon  leaves 
Rheims,  marching  in  the  direction  of  Rethel  and  Mezi6res. 
Chalons  completely  deserted. 

MACMAHON  MARCHES  TO  BAZAINE. 

The  following  despatch  from  Bazaine,  through  Colonel  Stoffee,  Mac- 
Mahon’s  chief  of  staff,  changes  MacMahon’s  course  of  march  : 

Longwy,  August  22. 

To  Marshal  MacMahon,  Chalons  : 

I  have  been  obliged  to  take  up  a  position  near  Metz,  to  give  rest  to  the 
soldiers  and  to  renew  my  supplies  of  provisions  and  munitions.  The  enemy 
is  continually  increasing  around  me,  and  I  shall  probably  take  the  northern 
line  to  join  you,  and  will  give  you  warning  if  a  march  can  be  undertaken 
without  compromising  the  army.  Bazaine. 


200 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Chalons  camp  is  deserted.  Rheims  is  crowded  with  Mac- 
Mahon’s  troops.  A  part  of  Bazaine’s  force  which  escaped 
from  Metz  is  coming  in.  The  troops  and  officers  are  dis¬ 
couraged  that  Bazaine  has  failed  to  come  up.  The  force  here 
numbers,  under  MacMahon,  100,000. 

Evening. —  The  whole  army  is  moving  towards  Ardennes. 
They  take  the  road  to  Rethel  and  Mezieres  [respectively 
twenty -four  and  forty-seven  miles  north-east  of  Rheims]. 

The  troops  here  ordered  to  go  direct  to  Montmedy  [twenty- 
five  miles  due  north  of  Verdun,  close  to  the  frontier].  The 
movement  is  to  free  Bazaine.  Bazaine  and  MacMahon  will 
both  fight  the  Prussians  under  Steinmetz  and  Prince  Charles, 
if  they  can  reach  them  before  the  Crown  Prince,  now  towards 
Bar-le-Duc,  discovers  the  movement.  The  Emperor  is  at 
Rheims.  The  army  has  been  reinforced  from  Paris  to  120,000. 
The  orders  are  changed,  and  the  army  is  now  moving  on  Rethel 
and  Mezieres. 

PARIS  FIGHTING  TALK. 

Paris,  Monday ,  August  22,  1870.  —  One  hundred  and  sixty  thousand 
men  have  passed  through  Paris  to  the  front  since  Friday  morning.  It  is 
said  that  there  are  now  nearly  300,000  good  troops  at  and  near  Paris.  Pro¬ 
found  enthusiasm  was  produced  yesterday  by  the  passage  through  the  streets 
of  American  ambulances  going  to  the  front.  Every  one  remarked  the 
completeness  and  perfection  of  all  their  arrangements.  The  activity  in 
equipping  the  artillery  regiments  has  lately  been  increasing.  Several 
have  already  gone  to  the  front.  One  hundred  priests,  going  to  the  army  as 
volunteer  assistants  in  the  hospitals,  yesterday  marched  through  Paris,  car¬ 
rying  their  knapsacks  on  their  backs.  The  people  were  deeply  moved  by 
the  spectacle. 

The  destruction  of  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  has  been  commenced.  A 
large  part  of  it,  however,  will  not  be  touched.  Only  those  positions  near 
the  wall  of  the  city  will  be  cleared  away.  The  ramparts  are  strongly  fortified 
with  large  cannon.  The  forts  are  fully  prepared,  and  the  entrances  to  the 
citv  may  be  closed  at  any  moment  by  draw-bridges.  It  is  reported  that  in 
case  of  siege  all  strangers  will  be  compelled  to  leave. 

The  Phnperor  left  behind  at  Chalons  his  personal  baggage  and  wagon 
train.  It  is  reported  that  he  is  determined  to  charge  with  MacMahon’s 
troops  in  the  next  battle. 

The  Prussian  army  besieging  Strasburg  caused  the  people  of  Ernstein 
to  change  the  course  of  the  little  river  Ill,  in  that  neighborhood,  in  order  to 
stop  the  supply  of  water  for  the  city.  The  Prussians  appointed  a  Mayor 
for  Ernstein. 

Amount  of  national  French  loan  taken,  62,000,000  francs. 

PRUSSIAN  ARMY. 

Eight  army  corps,  which  aggregated  320,000  men  before  decimated  by 
war,  are  marching  on  Paris. 


TUESDA  V,  AUGUST  23. 


201 


“  First  —  The  First  army  is  commanded  by  General  Von  Steinmetz,  and  consists  of  the 
First,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Army  Corps.  This  army  is  now  near  Metz. 

“  Second — The  Second  army  is  that  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  comprising  the  Second, 
Third,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  Army  Corps.  This  is  also  near  Metz. 

“  Third — The  Third  army,  commanded  by  the  Royal  Prince,  comprises  the  Fifth, 
Sixth,  and  Eleventh  Corps,  as  well  as  the  two  Bavarian  Corps.  This  army  has  been 
directed  to  move  on  Paris  by  way  of  Troyes. 

“  Fourth  —  The  Fourth  army  of  the  Prince  Royal  of  Saxony,  comprising  the  Fourth, 
Twelfth,  and  Saxon  Corps,  is  advancing  on  Paris  by  way  of  Ch&lons,  near  the  Crown 
Prince. 

Fifth — The  Fifth  army,  under  General  Werder,  embracing  the  Wurtemberg  and 
Baden  divisions,  is  now  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Strasburg. 

“  Besides  these,  there  is  the  Army  of  the  Reserves,  partly  under  the  command  of  the 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin,  on  the  Rhine,  partly  under  the  comrmind  of  General  Can- 
stein,  at  Berlin,  and  partly  under  the  command  of  General  Loewenfeld,  in  Silesia. ” 


Tuesday,  August  23.  —  MacMahon  at  Rheims  with  the 
Emperor  and  Prince  Imperial.  The  Crown  Prince’s  advance 
checked  at  Bar-le-Duc.  Strasburg  holds  out ;  but  Auerbach 
writes,  “  Strasburg  is  lost  !  ” 

MACMAHON. 

Rheims,  Angus/  23.  —  General  MacMahon  is  still  here  with  the  First, 
Fifth,  Seventh,  and  Twelfth  Corps,  and  the  cavalry  of  Canrobert’s  Corps, 
escaped  from  Metz.  The  Emperor  and  Prince  Imperial  are  also  here. 

CROWN  PRINCE. 

St.  Dizier,  August  23. — The  Crown  Prince’s  advance  is  here.  We 
look  Paris-ward.  The  main  Third  army  is  at  Bar-le-Duc.  There  are 
doubts  about  MacMahon’s  position.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  is 
coming  with  the  Fourth  army,  but  he  has  not  yet  arrived. 

STRASBURG. 

( Translated  from  the  German  of  Auerbach.) 

August  23  (Evening). — It  is  decided.  Enough  of  pourparlers. 
Our  patience  is  worn  out.  To-night  the  bombardment  opens,  at  first  from 
the  artillery  at  Kehl.  Commandant  Ullrich,  who  requires  us  to  display 
every  species  of  humanity  while  he  exhibits  none  himself,  requested,  yes¬ 
terday,  that  he  might  send  the  women  and  children  out  of  the  city.  Apart 
from  the  impossibility  of  our  undertaking  this,  there  is  the  quartering  them 
or  the  conducting  them  away,  for  neither  of  which  have  we  the  means. 
Many  other  inconveniences  are  obvious ;  and  besides,  this  is  war,  and  we 
cannot  relieve  the  Commandant  of  the  difficulties  which  should  force  him 
to  a  surrender.  Want  and  hunger,  the  tears  and  lamentingsof  women  and 
children,  are  indeed  heartrending  —  at  least,  for  an  army  of  citizens  such  as 
the  German  army  is  ;  for  how  many  thousands  of  them  have  left  wife  and 
child  to  stand  before  the  bullets  of  the  foe?  But  within  the  fortress  the 
misery  of  the  innocent,  maybe,  will  at  length  constrain  the  Commandant, 
9* 


202 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


who  vapors  about  his  military  honor,  to  desist  staking  human  life  upon  his 
gambler’s  game  of  glory.  The  game  is  lost;  no  further  stroke  of  hazard 
will  avail.  .  .  .  The  Commandant  further  required  of  us  to  forward 

for  him  a  letter  to  his  wife  in  Paris.  This  w'as  courteously  acceded  to. 
This  afternoon,  at  Mundolsheim,  it  was  strangely  quiet.  It  was  like  the 
deep  inhaling  of  one’s  breath  before  a  mighty  cry  of  alarm  was  pealed 
forth.  As  I  returned  to  Lampertheim  troops  of  Bavarians  met  me  in  blue 
blouses,  with  axes  and  shovel's,  who  must  work  to-night  in  the  trenches. 
The  willows  along  the  road,  and  far  into  the  thickets,  are  cut  down  to 
make  gabions  for  the  trenches.  Troops  of  artillery  follow  them  —  fine, 
sturdy  fellows,  full  of  a  courage  which  knows  no  bounds.  ...  At 
midnight  the  fire  opens.  I  go  to  the  heights  of  Mundolsheim,  which 
command  Strasburg  and  all  the  landscape  round,  to  witness  the  scene. 

WAR  PICTURES. 

PONT-A-MOUSSON. 

Headquarters  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  August  23. 

Finally,  after  going  a  mile  or  two,  I  saw  a  French  peasant  driving  an 
empty  voiture.  He  told  me  he  was  going  some  five  miles  on  my  way,  and 
would  take  me  that  far.  Once  seated,  gold  did  the  rest  ;  the  voiture  did 
not  stop  until  I  was  at  the  door  of  my  Figaro  in  Pont-a-Mousson. 

There  was  no  night,  none  of  the  repose  of  night,  in  Pont-a-Mousson 
during  or  after  the  great  battles  on  the  frontier.  There  was  dismay,  excite¬ 
ment,  hideous  confusion.  Moaning  men,  with  fearful  wounds,  walked 
about  the  streets  begging  to  be  carried  to  their  homes  in  Germany.  To 
every  wagoner  or  cart  that  passed  a  score  were  crying,  “  Take  me  with 
you.”  The  King  had  returned  to  this  place,  and  the  headquarters  were 
again  here,  previous  to  their  removal  to  Bar-le-Duc ;  but  those  head¬ 
quarters  were  filled  with  mourning  and  consternation,  for  it  was  found  that 
from  the  circle  usually  gathered  there,  some  of  the  most  important  officers 
were  missing.  It  was  hardly  any  consolation  that  two  or  three  equally 
eminent 

FRENCH  GENERALS  LAY  STARK  AND  COLD 
on  the  field,  and  others  dangerously  wounded  were  groaning  a  few  steps 
away.  Count  Bismarck  sat,  grim  and  silent, 

BY  THE  SI(DE  OF  HIS  WOUNDED  SON, 
whose  hand  was  clasped  in  that  of  his  brother  —  a  noble-looking,  flaxen¬ 
haired  youth  of  about  twenty  years,  who,  though  he  had  dashed  again  and 
again  into  danger  during  the  battle,  had  escaped  unhurt.  Why  linger  with 
this  group?  It  is  one  of  many  thousands.  One  man’s  life  seems  of  too 
little  importance  just  now  to  be  mentioned. 

The  excitement  of  the  French  in  Pont-a-Mousson  is  tremendous.  I  feel 
sure  now  that  if  the  Prussians  had  met  with  a  reverse  on  the  iSth,  this  lit¬ 
tle  city  would  have  been  the  scene  of  an  attempted  massacre.  Looking 
from  my  window,  I  see  a  crowd  of  French  people  —  peasants,  bourgeois, 
women  of  all  degrees,  bareheaded  and  in  deshabille  —  following  a  wagon 
through  the  streets.  In  the  vehicle  are  four  French  officers  of  high  rank 
wounded— two  of  them  mortally,  two  others  dangerously.  In  the  front 
seat  of  the  wagon  sits  upright  and  stately  a  general,  whose  name  is  called 
out  by  the  crowd  as  “  General  Latour.”  I  finer-looking  man  I  have  rarely 
seen.  There  is  a  look  on  his  face  of  dignity,  a  self-respect  which  is  mas- 


WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  24. 


203 


tering  the  agony  of  his  dreadful  head  wound.  When  the  wagon  stops  (it 
is  in  the  street  under  my  window),  the  street  is  absolutely  blocked  by  the 
French,  and  just  as  many  wounded  Prussian  soldiers.  The  women  rush 
out  of  the  houses  with  wine  and  other  delicacies  (hitherto  hidden  away), 
and  the  wounded  Prussians  begin  to  grow  angry.  The  people 
SEIZE  THE  GENERAL’S  HAND, 

kiss  it  again  and  again.  At  the  windows  are  scores  of  women  and  children 
weeping  and  calling  out  with  expressions  of  enthusiastic  devotion.  No  at¬ 
tempt  at  repressing  these  demonstrations  was  made  by  the  Prussian  officers 
or  men.  But  one  thing,  I  own,  startled  me  not  a  little.  So  soon  as  the 
wagon  stopped,  the  French  general  hastily  took  out  of  his  pocket  a  large 
package  of  papers,  and  handed  it  to  a  woman  with  a  single  word.  The 
woman  vanished  with  them,  and  no  doubt  the  papers  were  speedily  turned 
to  ashes.  That  no  Prussian  interfered  with  the  disposal  of  papers  belong¬ 
ing  to  a  prominent  general  just  picked  up  from  the  field,  was  certainly  sin¬ 
gular. 

Before  leaving  Pont-ii-Mousson  I  went  to  take  leave  of  a  Frenchman  and 
his  wife  who  had  been  kind  to  me.  “  Ah,  sir,”  said  the  man  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  “this  has  long  been  the  most  beautiful  town  on  the  Moselle, 
and  among  the  happiest.  You  see  what  it  is  now.  For  many  years  it  will 
be  a 

DREARY  PICTURE  OF  WAR. 

But  if  it  be  still  standing  when  peace  comes,  come  hither  again,  and  we 
shall  take  our  coffee  and  our  cigar  together,  and  talk  of  many  things.  For 
me,  for  my  wife  there,  our  lips  are  now  sealed ;  we  know  not  who  is 
friend,  who  foe ;  but  we  know  how  to  do  well  by  strangers,  and  shall  not 
forget  those  who  spoke  to  us  in  kind  tones  during  this  frightful  week.” 

Wednesday,  August  24.  —  The  Emperor,  with  MacMahon, 
at  Rethel.  The  Crown  Prince,  King  William,  Von  Moltke, 
and  Bismarck  in  consultation  at  Ligny  (ten  miles  south  of  Bar- 
le-Duc).  The  abandonment  of  Chalons  known,  and  the  Ger¬ 
man  advance  ceases.  The  Crown  Prince  halts  at  Clermont- 
Vitry,  and  goes  in  pursuit  of  MacMahon.  The  uhlans  capture 
eighty  wagons  of  war  material  at  Chalons.  Ollivier  in  Swit¬ 
zerland.  Jules  Favre  charges  misfortune  upon  French  leaders. 
Metz  is  isolated.  The  citadel  and  arsenal  of  Strasburg  de¬ 
stroyed,  and  two  French  mortar  batteries  silenced.  •  The  Prus¬ 
sian  scouts  at  Sezanne.  Seven  hundred  and  thirty-four  Ger¬ 
man  prisoners  sent  out  of  Metz  for  exchange.  They  report 
that  their  daily  ration  of  bread,  a  half  loaf,  had  been  lately  re¬ 
duced  to  a  sixth  loaf.  All  old  French  soldiers  from  twenty- 


204 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


five  to  thirty-five  years,  married  or  unmarried,  to  the  number 
of  300,000,  are  called  out ;  all  officers  up  to  sixty  years  ;  and 
all  generals  capable  of  service,  up  to  seventy  years  of  age. 
King’s  headquarters  moved  from  Pont-k-Mousson  to  Bar-le- 
Duc.  Headquarters  of  First  and  Second  armies  before  Metz. 
The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  joins  Crown  Prince  Frederick 
William  with  the  Fourth,  Twelfth,  and  Guard  Corps,  making 
the  Fourth  army. 


THE  MARCH  TO  PARIS. 

( Translated  from  the  Gerifian  official  report. ) 

The  long  delay  of  the  French  main  army  at  Metz  permitted  us  to  fight 
the  battles  of  the  14th,  i6t’n,  and  18th  ult.  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  that  fortress,  and  cut  off  General  Bazaine  from  all  communications  with 
Paris  or  any  other  part  of  France.  But  there  remained  a  considerable 
portion  of  the  French  forces  ready  for  further  action.  In  consequence  of 
the  introductory  operations  of  the  campaign,  the  two  corps  of  MacMahon 
and  Douay,  as  well  as. the  corps  of  Failly,  despatched  to  their  assistance  from 
the  capital,  had  been  entirely  separated  from  the  main  army.  These  troops 
retreated  to  Chalons,  where  the  Twelfth  Corps  was  then  forming  under 
General  Trochu,  while  another,  the  Thirteenth,  was  being  organized  by 
General  Vinoy  near  Paris.  With  its  large  depots,  Chalons  was  the  very 
place  in  which  to  repair  the  losses  of  the  regiments  that  had  been  already 
under  fire,  as  also  to  organize  the  fresh  reinforcements  sent  there  from  dif¬ 
ferent  parts  of  the  country.  The  command  of  the  new  army,  consisting  of 
these  various  bodies,  was  entrusted  to  General  MacMahon,  the  Emperor 
being  at  his  headquarters. 

While  such  measures  were  being  taken  by  the  enemy,  those  Prussian 
corps  not  required  before  Metz  had  continued  to  advance  in  a  westerly 
direction.  The  Third  army,  under  the  command  of  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Prussia,  which  had  been  steadily  pushing  on  all  the  while,  now  proceeded 
with  greater  rapidity.  In  its  onward  march  it  was  accompanied  by  a  new 
army,  formed  of  a  portion  of  the  forces  under  Prince  Frederick  Charles, 
and  placed  under  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony.  Both  these  armies,  the 
latte*-  of  which  consisted  of  the  Guards,  and  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps 
d’Armee,  marched  in  the  direction  of  Paris.  It  would  have  been  decidedly 
desirable  if  they  had  found  their  way  blocked  up  by  the  French,  and  if  a 
battle  could  have  been  fought  on  the  road  to  the  capital.  Marshal  Mac¬ 
Mahon  might  have  awaited  us  in  a  strong  position,  or  under  the  very  ram¬ 
parts  of  Paris.  Another  course  open  to  him  was  to  assume  the  offensive, 
with  a  view  to  rescue  General  Bazaine.  As  much  depended  upon  our  as¬ 
certaining  the  intentions  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  possible,  our  cavalry  were 
sent  far  in  advance  of  the  army  to  watch  his  movements.  Up  to  the  24th 
of  August  the  Marshal  held  the  camp  of  Chalons.  The  two  Prussian 
armies,  not  allowing  their  advance  to  be  delayed  by  the  fortifications  of 
V erdun,  marched  straight  on,  and  had  already  reached  the  line  Clermont- 


VI TR V,  AUGUST  25. 


205 


Vitrv,  when,  just  as  they  were  concentrating  preparatory  to  the  attack 
upon  Chalons,  news  arrived  on  the  25th  which  rendered  it  probable  that 
MacMahon  had  evacuated  his  camp.  He  was  reported  to  have  taken  the 
road  to  Rheims.  One  of  the  inferences  to  be  deduced  from  this  was,  that, 
picking  his  way  along  the  narrow  strip  of  land  between  the  Belgian  fron¬ 
tier  and  the  right  wing  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  the  Marshal  might 
possibly  attempt  to  relieve  Metz.  It  was  evident  that  if  the  proper  meas¬ 
ures  were  taken  instantaneously  by  us,  the  Marshal  would  find  it  very  dif¬ 
ficult  to  succeed  in  his  enterprise.  Accordingly,  our  advance  upon  Paris 
was  suspended  on  the  night  of  the  25th. 

Thursday,  August  25. — Vitry  surrenders.  MacMahon 
moves  towards  Mezieres.  The  Emperor,  MacMahon,  and  the 
Prince  Imperial  at  Rethel.  The  Crown  Prince  in  hot  pursuit 
of  MacMahon.  Duke  William  of  Mecklenburg  pushes  Mac¬ 
Mahon,  and  a  skirmish  ensues.  The  Oder  closed.  MacMa¬ 
hon  has  the  First,  Fifth,  Seventh,  and  Twelfth  Corps,  and 
cavalry  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  —  about  115,000  effective  men. 
The  Crown  Prince  has  160,000,  and  the  Crown  Prince  of  Sax¬ 
ony  120,000.  Steinmetz  moves  westward  towards  Verdun,  to 
assist  the  Crown  Prince,  if  needed. 

VITRY  SURRENDERS. 

Vitry  was  summoned  to  surrender  on  Thursday.  In  half  an 
hour  the  commandant  capitulated,  and  the  city  was  occupied. 
The  stores  of  arms  and  munitions  were  great :  5000  guns,  3000 
side  arms,  and  17  cannon.  Two  battalions  of  the  French  Garde 
Mobile  were  annihilated  by  the  Prussian  cavalry.  Seventeen 
French  officers  and  eight  hundred  and  fifty  soldiers  were  cap¬ 
tured.  The  Prussians  had  one  major  severely  and  three  troopers 
slightly  wounded.  This  capture  is  of  importance,  as  it  secures 
a  passage  over  the  Marne,  and  covers  the  bridge  of  the  Nancy- 
Bar-le-Duc  railroad ;  ten  miles  east  of  the  place  the  railroad 
branches  off  to  Chaumont.  Toul,  which  still  blocks  the  road 
east  of  Vitry,  is  surrounded  by  a  brigade  of  the  Second  Bava¬ 
rian  Corps. 

MACMAHON’S  FIRST  ATTACK. 

Sedan,  August  25.  —  MacMahon  is  trying  to  reach  Bazaine 
by  the  way  of  Mezieres,  Montmedy,  and  Thionville,  but  the 


206 


THE  FRANC O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Prussians  have  cut  through  Varennes  and  Dun.  There  is 
fighting  going  on  between  Dun,  Buzancy,  and  Mouzon.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  all  probability,  there  will  be  an  important  action 
before  long,  not  far  from  Montmedy. 

Evening.  —  Affairs  are  getting  hot.  The  two  Crown  Princes 
are  both  pushing  MacMahon.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  is 
marching  the  Fourth  army  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Meuse, 
to  cross  at  Verdun.  The  fighting  to-day  was  with  a  portion  of 
his  force,  the  cavalry  division  of  Duke  William  of  Mecklenburg, 
and  fifteen  hundred  of  the  Garde  Mobile  The  French  were 
hastily  retreating  from  Verdun  towards  Sedan.  The  Duke  threw 
a  few  shells  amongst  them,  compelled  them  to  halt,  and  a  de¬ 
termined  charge  of  the  Fifteenth  uhlan  regiment  was  made  to 
scatter  them.  The  Mobile  Guards  formed  a  square,  and  received 
the  cavalry  with  a  spirited  fire,  but  immediately  threw  their  guns 
away  or  fired  them  in  the  ground.  Seventeen  officers  and  eight 
hundred  and  fifty  men  were  taken,  with  a  loss  of  four  uhlans. 

FRANCE  MUST  PAY. 

The  entrance  of  the  river  Oder  was  finally  closed  on  the  25  th. 
Ships  are  sunk,  as  well  as  torpedoes,  along  the  coast.  The 
Paris  Constitutionnel  says  “the  injury  to  the  commerce  of  Ger¬ 
many  by  blockade  amounts  to  a  million  of  dollars  a  day.”  The 
official  paper  of  North  Germany,  the  Allgemeine  Zeitung , 
replies  :  “  That  is  just  so  much  added  indemnity  which  France 
must  pay.” 

A  new  division  of  iron-clads,  under  Rear-Admiral  Baron  Did¬ 
elot,  leaves  the  harbor  of  Toulon  with  sealed  orders.  It  consists 
of  the  Magenta ,  Gloire ,  Normandie ,  and  Corse.  The  frigate 
Orinoco  also  prepares  hastily  for  sea,  under  sealed  orders. 
France  will  pay  again. 

FRANCE  SICK  OF  THE  EMPEROR. 

The  Paris  Siecle  this  morning,  commenting  on  the  item  of  news  that 
“  the  Imperial  headquarters  are  at  Rheims,”  says  : 

“  Who  cares  ?  MacMahon  can  only  have  one  headquarters  —  the  centre  of  operations. 
The  1  Imperial  headquarters  ’  can  only  be  a  superfluity  {superfetation)  —  an  embarrass¬ 
ment —  a  pretext  for  losing  battles.  The  crisis  is  too  dangerous  to  talk  of  the  *  Imperial 
headquarters  *  anywhere  near  those  of  the  Commander-m-Chief.” 

STRASBURG  BURNS. 

( Translated  from  the  German  of  Auerbach.) 

A  NIGHT  OF  ST.  BARTHOLOMEW. 

August  25.  Before  Strasburg ,  Morning.  —  Strasburg  bur/is  !  In  this 


STRASBURG,  AUGUST  25. 


207 


word  are  crowded  all  the  horrors,  terrors,  anguish  of  heart,  we  experienced 
in  the  past  night.  My  eyes  yet  smart  from  the  fire  flashes,  my  hand  trem¬ 
bles  still.  So  was  it  to  be  !  Again  is  there  a  night  of  St.  Bartholomew  — 
for  such  was  the  one  just  passed  —  with  detestation  to  be  graven  in  history, 
but  not  through  fault  of  ours.  On  those  who  must  needs  deck  their  heads 
with  glory  —  on  their  heads  alone  lies  the  blame.  The  worst  injury  an  ene¬ 
my  can  inflict  upon  a  man,  upon  a  people,  is  to  force  them  to  acts  from 
which  they  recoil  with  aversion.  We  are  in  the  position  of  a  man  who 
declines  a  duel,  and  yet  is  compelled  to  shoot  down  his  adversary.  Unhap¬ 
pily  it  must  be  done.  But  yesterday  we  made  offers  to  the  commandant 
of  Strasburg  to  come  out,  or  send  a  trusty  officer,  to  convince  himself  that 
resistance  was  in  vain,  and  that  we  could  only  with  the  utmost  pain  bring 
ourselves  to  fire  even  a  part  of  Strasburg.  lie  replied,  an  inspection  of 
our  position  would  be  construed  as  a  first  probability  of  surrendering  the 
fortress.  He  had,  however,  resolved  to  defend  it  to  the  last  man  and  the 
last  cartridge.  It  was  said  yesterday,  and  the  broad  pillars  of  smoke  testi¬ 
fied,  that  Kehl  was  again  set  on  fire  by  the  French.  We  kept  quiet  until 
the  break  of  evening ;  the  columns  of  flame  in  Kehl  flared  up  wide,  mounting 
heavenwards,  and  incessantly  were  fireballs  hurled  thither  from  the  citadel. 
Now  began  on  our  side  the  fire  —  flash  for  flash,  blow  for  blow  they  were 
returned  with  interest.  There,  the  citadel  blazes  up;  the  fast-falling  night 
revealed  every  fire-flame.  Bombs  soared  aloft  and  descended.  Now  the 
city  was  on  fire  north  from  the  Cathedral.  It  must  have  fallen  on  inflam¬ 
mable  material,  for  instantly  the  flames  shot  heavenward.  From  this  point 
who  can  paint  the  scene  ?  Here  and  there  it  blazed  up  ;  we  saw  four,  five 
conflagrations ;  two  united,  and  presented  a  vast  roaring  furnace.  The  wind 
blew  from  the  west,  and  fanned  the  flames  ;  they  darted  up  forked  tongues  of 
fire.  A  spectator  cried  out,  “  See  how  the  Cathedral  towers  aloft  above  the 
clouds  of  smoke  !  how  venerable,  as  if  mutely  threatening  and  reproving  the 
men  who  hurl  reckless  flames  against  each  other  !”  “If  the  Cathedral  does 
but  remain  unharmed,”  was  the  cry  that  ran  from  mouth  to  mouth,  and 
meanwhile  feelings  of  deep  compassion  were  expressed  for  those  within  the 
city.  In  spirit  we  were  transported  among  those  now  wailing  in  vaulted 
cellars,  as  they  heard  the  thunder  of  the  guns,  ignorant  where  the  fires  were 
raging,  perhaps  even  their  own  homes.  And  in  the  streets  the  fires  must 
be  left  to  rage  unchecked.  Who  could  strive  to  quench  them,  while  each 
minute  further  discharges  were  falling  ?  How  many  cry  out  to  their  own  dear 
ones,  seek  them,  and  are  like  beings  bewildered  in  their  own  homes.  What 
shrieking,  what  misery  !  If  one  could  but  compress  together  the  heart- 
throbs  of  the  people,  far  louder,  quicker,  mightier  must  be  the  stroke  than 
the  deep  roar  of  the  guns,  which,  incessantly  discharged,  light  up  the  lgoom, 
here  —  there  —  till  the  eye  could  no  longer  follow.  Midnight  had  set  in 
before  we  decided  to  go  home.  We  could  see  each  other  as  in  full  moon¬ 
light.  The  fields,  the  vineyards  were  lit  up.  The  church  of  Mundolslieim, 
with  its  white  gravestones ;  suddenly  the  light  grows  still  brighter.  Now 
that  we  had  not  seen  the  flames  for  a  time,  they  appeared  broader,  stronger, 
more  voracious.  It  was  difficult  to  tear  one’s  self  away  from  the  fearfully 
grand  spectacle,  and  yet  it  must  be.  The  villagers  we  met  professed  to 
know  which  parts  of  the  city  would  be  saved  from  the  flames.  We  strove 
to  believe  their  assurances  that  the  precincts  of  the  cathedral,  above  all 
itself,  would  remain  uninjured.  And  yet  for  a  moment  it  had  seemed  to 
us  that  the  cathedral  terrace,  which  had  been  made  the  observatory  of  the 


203 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US SI AH  WAR. 


enemy,  was  on  fire.  It  was,  however,  an  illusion.  The  flames  illumined 
our  homeward  way.  The  sky  was  overspread  with  light  clouds  of  a  blood 
red.  The  fire  must  have  been  visible  beyond  the  Rhine,  far  into  the  Black 
Forest. 

Friday,  August  26.  —  The  army  conscription  law  announced 
,  in  Paris.  The  Crown  Prince  commences  the  great  flank  move¬ 
ment  and  change  of  front  of  eight  army  corps  (300,000  men). 
The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  to  move  north,  down  the-  east 
bank  of  the  Meuse,  to  cut  off  MacMahon  from  Metz,  while  the 
Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  pushes  him  in  front,  on  the  west 
bank,  and  cuts  him  off  from  Paris.  Both  armies  crowd  Mac¬ 
Mahon  towards  Belgium.  The  Crown  Prince  proclaims  the 
war  against  soldiers,  not  citizens.  The  Prince  Imperial  at  Reth- 
el.  The  Emperor  and  MacMahon  move  towards  MezRres. 
The  uhlans  scour  through  France,  from  Vitry  to  Chateau  Thier¬ 
ry,  Soissons,  and  Rheims.  Pfalzburg  *  continues  its  defence. 
A  church  and  twenty-one  houses  destroyed  by  Prussian  shells. 
Headquarters  of  the  King  removed  from  Bar-le-Duc  to  Cler¬ 
mont,  in  the  Argonnes. 

PRUSSIAN  OFFICIAL  REPORT. 

.  ( Translation .) 

On  the  26th  eight  and  one-half  German  army  corps,  which 
had  been  marching  west,  effected  a  change  of  front,  and,  turn¬ 
ing  north,  prepared  to  intercept  the  enemy  on  his  march  along 
our  flank. 

[These  corps  were  the  Fourth,  Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh,  and  Twelfth  Prussian,  the  First 
and  Second  Bavarian  and  Guards  Corps,  and  the  Wurtemberg,  and  the  Second,  Fourth, 
Fifth,  and  Sixth  Cavalry  Divisions  —  300,000  men. — Author.] 

The  difficulties  of  this  movement  were  increased  by  our  march 
lying  partly  through  the  Argonne  forest.  Care  was,  moreover, 
taken  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  falling  back  upon  Paris,  in 
case  he  should  find  it  impossible  to  penetrate  to  Metz.  Sup¬ 
posing  our  being  able  to  surround  MacMahon,  he  would  be  ob- 


*  Pfalzburg  is  a  stronghold  of  the  third  class,  with  works  constructed  by  Vauban,  and 
was  erected  under  the  crest  of  the  Vosges  to  defend  the  defile  between  Saverne  and 
Sarreburg. 


MARCH  TO  SEDAN ,  AUGUST  26. 


209 


liged  to  fight  under  the  most  unfavorable  conditions,  or  to  find 
safety  for  his  army  in  Belgium. 

While  this  movement  was  going  on,  General  Von  Steinmetz 
threw  a  portion  of  the  First  army  towards  Stenay,  to  feel  the 
enemy.  His  scouts  cut  the  railway  at  Lamouilly,  between 
Montmedy  and  Meziferes,  but  the  French  appeared  in  force, 
repairing  the  bridge,  while  the  Prussian  force  fell  back  on  Dun, 
a  few  miles  to  the  south. 

The  Corps  Vinoy  not  having  as  yet  arrived,  we  had  a  great 
numerical  superiority  over  the  French,  then  estimated  at  about 
120,000;  but  it  was  not  so  easy  for  us  to  bring  up  our  forces  in 
time  to  use  them.  While  our  troops  were  approaching  from  a 
considerable  distance  it  became  certain  that  MacMahon  had 
really  a  flank  march  in  view. 

In  the  mean  time  the  siege  of  Toul  was  postponed,  to  throw 
all  our  available  force  upon  MacMahon,  while  the  latter  was 
joined  by  10,000  fresh  troops  from  Paris  vid  Rheims. 

FLAGS  OF  TRUCE  FIRED  ON. 

A  diplomatic  despatch  relative  to  flags  of  truce  is  sent  from 
Berlin  to  Baron  Gerolt,  Minister  of  the  North  German  Union 
at  Washington.  It  says  : 

Berlin,  A  ugust  26. 

The  incident  mentioned  in  the  telegram  of  the  22d  has  occurred  twice  since.  Captain 
Rochow,  sent  by  General  Alvensleben  to  Toul  with  a  flag  of  truce,  has  been  received  with 
shots,  and  a  trumpeter  accompanying  another  flag  of  truce  has  been  killed.  You  will  lodge 
a  protest  with  the  United  States  against  these  repeated  violations  of  international  law, 
and  declare  that  we  shall  henceforth  be  unable  to  send  flags  of  truce  to  a  nation  whose  sol¬ 
diers  have  lost,  in  Africa,  China,  and  Mexico,  all  recollection  of  the  usages  of  civilized  war¬ 
fare.  Von  Thile. 

MARCH  WITH  THE  CROWN  PRINCE. 

Headquarters  Crown  Prince,  August  26. —  The  Crown  Prince  ar¬ 
rived  late  to-night  at  the  Chalons  Prefecture,  after  a  hard  ride  all  day. 
His  infantry  have  made  a  twenty-mile  march  to-day,  and  the  cavalry  forty. 
The  latter  are  about  midway  between  Chalons  and  Epernay.  This  day’s 
march  has  been  the  greatest  march  of  the  campaign.  The  men  have  fairly 
run  some  of  the  way.  There  is  great  joy  everywhere.  The  soldiers  carry 
green  sprigs  in  their  guns,  and  shout  and  sing  the  national  hymns. 

The  Crown  Prince  issues  this  proclamation  to  the  people  of  France  : 

“  Prussia  makes  war  against  the  Emperor,  and  not  against  the  people  of 
France.  The  people  have  nothing  whatever  to  fear.”  I'he  Prince  also  an¬ 
nounces  his  purpose  to  instantly  restore  the  lines  of  travel,  which  have  been 
interrupted  or  destroyed  by  army  movements,  so  that  labor  and  commerce 
may  everywhere  be  resumed.  All  the  French  officials  have  been  requested 
to  remain  at  their  posts,  and  “their  personal  safety  is  guaranteed.”  The 


210 


THE  FRANCO- PR USSIAN  WAR. 


Prince  further  says  that  “only  surplus  food  will  be  taken  for  the  German 
troops —  that  only  which  is  not  required  by  the  peaceful  French.” 

Saturday,  August  27. — MacMahon  near  Beaumont  and 
Stenay,  falling  back.  The  Crown  Prince  drives  MacMahon’ s 
rear  guard  from  Rheims.  The  Third  Saxony  Cavalry  defeat  six 
squadrons  of  the  Twelfth  French  Chasseurs  of  De  Failly’s  Corps, 
near  Buzancy.  The  King  proclaims  relative  to  the  treatment 
of  prisoners.  The  Bishop  of  Strasburg  remonstrates  with  Lieu¬ 
tenant-Colonel  Von  Leczynsky,  chief  of  the  Baden  staff,  against 
the  bombardment.  Prussians  disagree.  The  Bishop  asks  per¬ 
mission  to  send  the  people  out.  Prussians  deny.  He  then 
asks  for  a  truce.  The  Prussians  will  grant  it  if  the  French 
commander  desires  to  talk  capitulation.  By  order  of  General 
Trochu,  all  houses  which  are  in  the  way  of  the  defences  of  Paris 
are  to  be  destroyed. 

BISMARCK  TALKS. 

Clermont-en-Argonne,  August  27.  —  Count  Bismarck,  in 
conversation  to-day  with  a  correspondent,  gave  a  resume  of  the 
situation.  “The  French,”  said  the  Federal  Chancellor  (in  ex¬ 
cellent  English),  “had  taken  up  a  strong  defensive  position  near 
Rheims,  which  we  intended  to  attack  without  delay.  But  on 
Thursday  evening  we  learned  that  MacMahon,  with  120,000 
men,  had  left  Rheims,  and  was  marching  towards  Metz  to  re¬ 
lieve  Bazaine,  who,  as  you  know,  is  shut  up  there  with  about 
100,000  men.  The  Crown  Prince  arrived  just  in  time  to  stop 
MacMahon’s  march,  and  is  now  on  the  short  line  between  him 
and  Metz.  The  Bavarians  have  gone  to  cut  off  his  retreat  to 
Paris,  and  are  already  at  Chalons.”  “  Then  we  shall  not  con¬ 
tinue  our  advance  on  Paris  now?”  I  asked.  “  No,  not  till 
MacMahon  is  disposed  of ;  we  shall  drive  him  to  the  Belgian 
frontier,  or  into  the  sea  at  Calais.”  “  He  had  better  go  to 
England.”  “  He  won’t  find  many  friends  there,”  answered 
Count  Bismarck,  laughing.  The  Count,  who  had  been  writing, 
now  handed  me 

THIS  PROCLAMATION, 

which  appeared  with  the  King’s  signature  the  next  day : 


SUNDAY ,  AUGUST  28. 


211 


“The  Commander-in-chief  brings  to  the  knowledge  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  arrondissements,  that  every  prisoner  who  wishes  to  be  considered  as  a 
prisoner  of  war,  besides  [establishing]  his  character  as  a  French  soldier  by 
an  order  issued  by  one  of  the  legal  authorities  and  directed  to  him  person¬ 
ally,  has  to  produce  further  proof  that  he  has  been  called  to  the  standard 
and  entered  in  the  lists  of  a  military  corps  organized  by  the  French  Gov¬ 
ernment.  At  the  same  time  the  military  rank  which  he  occupies  in  the 
army  must  be  made  known  by  military  and  uniform  insignia,  which  are  in¬ 
separable  from  his  dress  and  are  visible  to  the  naked  eye  at  gunshot  dis¬ 
tance. 

“Individuals  who  have  seized  arms  while  setting  at  naught  one  of  these 
conditions,  will  not  be  considered  as  prisoners  of  war.  They  will  be  sen¬ 
tenced  by  a  court-martial,  when  they  have  not  made  themselves  guilty  of 
an  act  which  carries  a  stronger  punishment  with  it,  to  ten  years  imprison¬ 
ment  with  labor,  and  will  be  detained  in  Germany  until  this  sentence  has 
been  fulfilled.” 

Sunday,  August  28.  —  MacMahon’s  line  extends  from  Stenay 
to  Beaumont  and  Rethel  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Meuse.  The 
two  Crown  Princes  crowd  him  in  front.  The  King  at  Varennes, 
south  of  Grand  Pre.  The  Crown  Prince  at  Vouziers  and 
Buzancy.  The  Emperor  at  Le  Chene,  and  the  Prince  Impe¬ 
rial  at  Mezier£s.  The  French  decide  to  blow  up  bridges, 
blockade  roads,  and  destroy  railroads,  to  impede  the  Prussian 
advance  on  Paris.  The  American  ambulance  train  leaves 
Paris.  Dr.  Pratt,  with  the  daughters  of  Dr.  Sims,  leads  the 
corps.  Bismarck  says  “  Prussia  will  insist  on  Strasburg  and 
Metz  before  peace,  and  that  Alsace  and  Lor r able  shall  be  divided 
among  the  South  German  States.” 

FRENCH  SOIL  TO  BE  SEIZED. 

BISMARCK  SAYS  PRUSSIA  WILL  HAVE  METZ  AND  STRASBURG 
FOREVER. 

I  found  Count  Bismarck  at  a  deal  table  covered  with  papers,  journals, 
orders,  maps,  and  cigar  boxes ;  busily  smoking  the  cigar,  which  never  seems 
to  quit  his  lips. 

I  broke  ground  by  asking  what  were  likely  to  be  the  conditions  of  peace 
demanded  by  the  King  of  Prussia’s  Government. 

He  answered  at  once,  with  great  apparent  frankness,  and  in  the  clearest 
manner.  I  suppose  I  need  hardly  remind  your  readers  that  Count  Bismarck 
speaks  capital  English,  so  that  there  could  be  no  possibility  of  my  misunder¬ 
standing  him. 


213 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


“  There  are  three  courses  open  to  us,”  he  said,  “  with  regard  to  peace 
with  France.  We  must  stop  the  possibility  of  another  so  unprovoked  and 
uncalled-for  attack  by  the  French  nhtion  or  the  French  Government  on  our 
common  Fatherland.  No  Minister  who  failed  to  do  this  could  hold  office 
for  a  week,  for  the  opinion  of  all  Germany  would  be  against  him.  There 
are,  as  I  have  said,  three  ways  of  stopping  an  attack  on  the  Rhine  provinces. 

“  First —  We  might  make  Alsace  and  Lorraine  a  neutral  State,  like  Lux¬ 
emburg  or  Belgium,  extending  from  the  former  country  to  Switzerland,  and 
so  separating  France  and  Prussia  by  a  group  of  neutral  States;  but  I  con¬ 
fess  it  appears  to  me  that  the  neutrality  of  the  existing  small  States  is  already 
so  difficult  to  protect,  and  is  at  every  moment  capable  of  so  many  and  such 
dangerous  complications,  that  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  worth  while  to 
make  more  neutral  States,  and  with  them  new  duties  and  dangers. 

“  Secondly —  We  might  annex  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  and  hold  them  as 
conquered  territory.  But  I  am  sure  that  this  would  not  be  looked  on  fa¬ 
vorably  by  the  majority  of  my  German  fellow-countrymen.  We  are  all 
most  anxious  to  complete  our  unity  ;  but  we  do  not  want  any  people  among 
us  who  are  unwilling  members  of  the  German  nation.  That  the  Alsacians 
would  be  most  disloyal  subjects  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  in  spite  of  the  great 
majority  of  them  speaking  the  German  language,  and  being  of  Teutonic 
origin,  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

“  Thirdly —  There  remains  to  ns,  then,  as  a  third  course,  to  take  Metz 
and  Strasburg,  and  to  keep  them.  This  is  what  we  shall  do.  Strasburg 
particularly  is  absolutely  needful  for  the  protection  of  South  Germany, 
which  is  at  the  mercy  of  a  French  army.  So  long  as  France  possesses 
Strasburg,  there  is  nothing  to  stop  a  French  invading  army.  Now  it  would 
be  very  unfair  if  we  were  to  leave  our  South  German  brethren  unprotected, 
after  they  have  fought  so  bravely  and  well  by  our  side  in  this  campaign. 
Then,  again,  by  holding  Strasburg  we  could  always  prevent  any  movement 
on  theRhine.  We  should  be  able,  not  only  to  march  an  army  by  the  valley 
of  the  Main  on  Paris,  but  to  take  a  French  army  marching  on  Mayence 
or  Coblenz  in  flank  and  rear.  So  we  have  besieged  Strasburg  vigorously  ; 
and  when  we  have  got  the  old  German  town  back  again,  we  shall  make  a 
Gibraltar  of  it.” 

“But  allow  me  to  suggest,”  I  said,  “that  the  cession  of  Strasburg  is 
not  a  thing  to  which  France  will  be  easily  reconciled  ;  all  the  more  because 
it  is,  as  you  say,  ‘  the  key  of  France  on  the  East.’  ” 

“My  dear  sir,”  was  the  reply,  “you  have  been  with  us  continually 
since  our  entry  into  France.  I  have  heard  you  constantly  talking  French. 
Now,  have  you  not  clearly  seen  that  it  would  be  difficult  for  the  French  to 
be  more  angry  with  us  for  our  victories  over  them  than  they  already  are  ? 
No,  not  if  we  were  encamped  in  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  itself.  And  just 
because  they  are  and  will  be  for  many  a  year  to  come  very  sore  against  us, 
we  must  take  care  not  to  leave  in  their  hands  the  means  of  doing  us  a  mis¬ 
chief. 

“  When  you  meet  a  drunken  man  in  the  streets,  what  do  you  do  if  he  is 
mischievous?  Call  a  policeman,  don’t  you?  Well,  Strasburg  and  Metz 
will  have  to  be  our  policemen,  and  good  stout  ones,  too.” 

“It  is  curious,”  I  remarked,  “how  much  the  French  do  hate  the  Prus¬ 
sians,  and  what  stories  they  tell  and  believe  about  you.  I  have  lived  a 
great  deal  in  Paris,  and  I  know  there  are  told  there  as  facts  some  fables 
which  are  all  but  incredible.” 


MONDAY,  AUGUST  29 


213 


“Yes,”  answered  Count  Bismarck,  “we  have  taken  the  place  of  the 
English  thirty,  nay  twenty  years  ago.  But  as  they  have  come  to  forget 
their  hatred  of  ‘perfidious  Albion,’  so  they  will  have  to  find  some  day  or 
other  that  there  is  some  good  in  us.  Also,  it  seems  as  if  the  French  nation 
stood  in  constant  need  of  a  bugbear  to  vent  their  wrath  upon.  For  the  mo¬ 
ment,  we  are  the  bugbears.” 

I  ventured  then  to  say,  “  I  see  that  the  people  are  in  a  great  fright  in 
England  lest  your  Excellency  should  cast  a  covetous  eye  upon  Holland.” 

“Yes,  I  am  aware  that  is  an  English  idea,”  replied  the  Count  ;  “but, 
like  other  English  ideas,  it  is  not  accepted  out  of  the  country  of  its  birth. 
We  want  nothing  in  Germany  that  is  not  German,  and  Holland  certainly 
is  not  German.  Already  Posen  is  looked  upon  with  no  friendly  eye  by 
many  of  my  countrymen  as  a  non-Teutonic  province.  There  is  no  fear  of 
our  taking  Holland  —  as  little  as  there  is  of  the  French  taking  Belgium.” 

Now,  I  fancied  I  saw  a  quiet  twinkle  of  satisfaction  in  Count  Bismarck’s 
eye  as  he  added  the  above  last  word  ;  and  perhaps  I  may  as  well  let  it  be 
the  last  word  of  my  report. 

(Interview  with  Count  Bismarck,  published  in  London  Daily  News, 
Aug.  28.) 

Monday,  August  29.  — MacMahon’s  four  corps  stationed  on 
the  two  roads  from  Le  Chene  to  Stenay  (two  being  echelonnes 
on  each).  German  army  extends  from  Grand  Pre  to  Stenay, 
the  van  in  front  of  MacMahon.  The  Prussian  Twelfth  Corps, 
threatens  the  eastern  divisions  of  MacMahon’s  army,  Mac¬ 
Mahon  decides  to  cross  to  the  east  bank  of  the  Meuse,  and 
fall  back  on  Sedan.  The  Prince  Imperial  is  hastily  transferred 
to  the  fortress  of  Avesnes.  The  Paris  Bois  de  Boulogne  filled 
with  cattle.  The  Emperor  at  Sedan. 

PARIS  SPECULATIONS. 

A  law  is  published  in  Paris,  by  which  the  battalions  of  the  National  Guard 
are  incorporated  with  the  active  army  ;  and  those  citizens  who  take  up  arms 
for  the  time  being,  and  wear  the  insignia  of  the  National  Guard,  shall  be 
considered  as  forming  part  of  that  organization.  The  question  is  whether 
the  Germans  will  consider  men  in  blouses,  with  a  cross  or  other  insignia  on 
their  dress,  as  having  fulfilled  the  clear  conditions  of  the  King’s  proclama¬ 
tion  yesterday.  Senators  Bihic  and  Mellinet,  and  Deputies  Daru,  Dupuy 
de  L’Ome,  De  Talhuet,  and  Thiers  are  added  to  the  Committee  of  Defence. 
General  Trochu  orders  all  people  of  the  unsafe  classes,  and  all  persons  who 
cannot  support  themselves,  to  be  sent  out  of  Paris,  and  all  Germans  to  leave 
the  Department  of  the  Seine. 

March  of  the  Germans  on  Rethel  and  Vouziers  continued.  Bummers 
(Pliinkler,  a  favorite  term  with  the  Germans  in  this  war)  in  the  neighbor- 


214: 


TIIE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  IVAR. 


hood  of  both  places ;  20,000  men  reported  in  Paris  to  have  passed  Chalons, 
going  toward  Epernay. 

The  military  drawing  for  the  army  conscription  of  the  present  year  is 
fixed  to  take  place  in  all  parts  of  the  empire  on  Monday  next,  August  29. 

The  call  of  Government  on  the  nation  by  this  army  draft  is  for  140,000 
men — instead  of  90,000,  the  legal  quota — in  consequence  of  the  exigen¬ 
cies  of  the  present  war  with  Prussia. 

Tuesday,  August  30. — Severe  battle  near  Beaumont.* 


*  The  exact  situation  of  the  armies  before  the  battle  is  thus  given  in  the  Army  and 
Navy  Journal: 

MacMahon’s  army  lies  between  the  Ardennes  mountains  and  the  river  Aisne.  His  ad¬ 
vance  having  been  beaten  at  Nouart,  and  his  way  to  Metz  cut  off,  there  was  danger  that 
he  would  retreat  into  Belgium,  if  not  at  once  attacked.  His  army  does  indeed  begin  to  cross 
the  Meuse,  though  with  the  intention  of  retreating  by  Sedan  and  Mdzieres.  The  German 
leaders  decide  to  attack  it  again  in  the  country  between  the  Ardennes  and  the  Meuse. 
According  to  the  orders  given  the  Third  army,  the  First  Bavarian  Corps,  which  on  the  27th 
had  been  advanced  past  Vouziers,  on  the  road  to  Stenay,  as  far  as  Bar  and  Buzancy,  was 
to  go  vik  Sommauthe  toward  Beaumont.  The  Second  Bavarian  Corps  followed  behind  the 
First.  The  Fifth  Prussian  Corps  moved  from  Bregenay  and  Authe  toward  Pierremont  and 
Oches,  and  formed  therefore  the  left  wing  of  the  Third  army.  The  W'urtemberg  division 
directed  itself  from  Boult-aux-Bois,  via  Chktillon,  against  Le  Chene.  The  Second  Prus¬ 
sian  Corps  moved  on  the  left  of the  Wurtembergers,  via  Vouziers  and  Quatre  Champs  ;  and 
a  side  column  of  this  corps  occupied  Voncq,  on  the  Aisne.  The  Sixth  Corps  was  to  extend 
itself  from  Vouziers  southwesterly,  or  towards  Chklons.  The  Fifth  cavalry  division  marched 
toward  Tourteron,  the  Fourth  toward  Chktillon,  the  Sixth  toward  Semuy,  with  advance 
troops  toward  Bouvellemont,  cutting  the  road  to  Mdzieres.  The  second  division  of  cavalry 
moved  toward  Buzancy.  Headquarters  of  the  Crown  Prince  were  moved  at  half-past  eight 
from  Cernuc.  via  Grand  Pr6  (where  the  King’s  quarters  were),  toward  Bregenay,  before 
which  place  three  regiments  and  some  artillery  lay  in  two  rows  about  half  a  mile  long. 
Precisely  at  noon  came  the  first  shot  from  the  hills  before  Oches,  where  some  French  artil¬ 
lery  had  posted  itself,  and  was  directed  against  the  German  artillery  back  of  Buzancy, 
nearly  5000  paces  distant.  There  was,  however,  no  attempt  to  make  a  stand,  and  the  po¬ 
sition  was  deserted  so  soon  as  German  cavalry  approached,  The  artillery  retreated,  fol¬ 
lowing  the  chain  of  hills  on  which  it  lay,  back  to  Stonne,  its  highest  point.  Although  the 
ground  here  was  very  favorable,  the  retreat  was  soon  continued  toward  Beaumont,  where 
the  French  centre  had  been  driven  in,  after  a  sharp  fight.  The  battle  here  was  opened 
about  midday  by  the  Fourth  Corps,  which,  making  a  sudden  attack  upon  Beaumont,  swept 
so  suddenly  upon  the  French,  that  a  camp  from  which  not  an  article  had  been  removed  fell 
into  their  hands.  This  corps  was  supported  on  the  left  by  the  First  Bavarian  Corps,  placed 
in  the  Petit-Dieulet  wood,  where,  being  attacked  on  its  left  flank,  a  return  attack  was  made, 
and  the' enemy  thrown  back  on  La  Besace.  On  the  right  of  the  Fourth  was  the  Twelfth 
Corps,  operating  against  Letanne.  Beaumont  having  been  brilliantly  seized,  the  Fourth 
and  Twelfth  Corps  of  the  Fourth  army  moved  against  the  Givodeau  wood  and  Villemontry, 
fighting  at  every  step,  and  steadily  extending  its  left  wing,  in  order  to  occupy  the  hills 
which  enclose  Mouzon.  From  six  to  eight  o’clock  a  tremendous  artillery  and  mitrailleuse 
battle  was  kept  up  here,  to  which  night  alone  put  an  end.  The  Fourth  Corps  then  occupied 
the  place.  As  the  bridge  here  was  the  line  of  retreat  for  a  great  part  of  the  French  army, 
its  crowded  columns  suffered  terribly  in  crossing.  Large  quantities  of  baggage  and  mate¬ 
rial  were  also  abandoned.  Meanwhile,  the  western  wing  of  the  French  army,  formerly 
the  right,  now  the  left  wing,  crosses  the  river  at  Bazeilles.  Part  of  the  First  Bavarian  Corps 
having  advanced  in  a  northeasterly  direction  toward  Yoncq,  driving  back  on  its  way  a 
force  that  had  been  withdrawn  without  a  fight  from  a  strong  position  at  Stonne,  attacks 
them  late  in  the  day,  and  in  its  turn  wins  guns  and  prisoners,  and  inflicts  severe  loss  on  the 
retreating  columns.  The  German  army  bivouacked  on  the  line  Raucourt-Villemontry. 
The  advantages  gained  during  this  day  were,  the  winning  of  so  much  ground  that  the 
passes  of  the  Ardennes  remained  entirely  in  German  hands,  and  an  approach  to  the  fron¬ 
tier  so  close  that  the  ground  between  it  and  the  Meuse  could  be  occupied  as  a  base  of 
operations.  In  addition,  the  number  of  guns  and  prisoners  taken  was  enormous,  amount¬ 
ing  to  more  than  thirty  guns  and  5000  prisoners.  The  French  appeared  to  have  with¬ 
drawn  toward  Sedan,  the  main  body  having  crossed  the  Meuse  at  Mouzon,  under  cover 
of  heavy  artillery  fire  from  the  high  right  bank  of  the  river.  Mouzon  is  six  miles  north  of 
Beaumont,  and  ten  miles  south-east  of  Sedan. 


■ii 


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BEAUMONT ,  AUGUST 30. 


215 


The  first  shot  fired  from  the  hills  of  Oches  at  twelve,  m.  The 
Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  with  the  Fourth  and  Twelfth  Corps, 
captures  the  French  camp  at  Beaumont,  and  pushes  MacMa- 
hon’s  left  beyond  the  hills  of  Mouzon,  which  village  the  Fourth 
army  occupied  at  eight  p.m.,  shelling  the  retreating  forces  of 
MacMahon  as  they  struggle  across  the  Mouzon  bridge.  The 
French  army  faces  about,  and  the  right  becomes  the  left.  The 
western  wing  (left  now)  is  driven  across  the  Meuse  at  Bazeilles 
by  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia. 

The  German  army  bivouacs  at  Raucourt,  on  a  line  parallel 
with  the  Meuse.  The  passes  in  the  Ardennes  in  German 
hands.  5000  prisoners  captured,  and  31  guns. 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  commands  the  Fourth  and 
Twelfth  Prussian,  the  First  Bavarian,  and  some  Saxon  and 


Prussian  Guards —  115,000  men. 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  commands  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  and 
Eleventh  Prussian  Corps,  Second  Bavarian,  and  some  rein¬ 
forcements  from  Prince  Charles —  170,000  men. 

MacMahon  commands  four  corps,  viz. :  First  Corps,  General 
Ducrot ;  Fifth  Corps,  General  Goze,  in  place  of  De  Failly,  on 
the  staff  of  the  Emperor;  Seventh  Corps,  General  Felix 
Douay;  Twelfth  Corps,  General  Lebrun  —  with  some  reinforce¬ 
ments,  in  all  about  1x5,000  men. 

THE  KING’S  DESPATCH  OF  VICTORY. 

To  the  Queen  : 

Varennes,  Aug.  30  [Evening). —  We  have  had  another  victory.  The 
Fourth,  Twelfth,  and  one  Bavarian  Corps  were  engaged.  MacMahon 
was  beaten,  and  driven  from  Beaumont  across  the  Meuse  to  Mouzon. 
Twelve  guns,  several  thousand  prisoners,  and  much  material  are  in  our 
hands.  I  repair  to  the  battle-field  to  pursue  the  routes  of  victory.  God 
help  us  further  !  Wilhelm. 


216 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


BATTLE  OF  BEAUMONT. 

PRELIMINARIES. 

The  events  of  this  campaign  within  a  campaign,  up  to  to-day, 
are  as  follows  :  MacMahon  left  Rheims  on  the  24th  of  August, 
carrying  the  main  part  of  his  army  through  Vouziers,  20,000 
men  at  most  having  been  sent  by  railroad  to  Montmedy.  This 
movement  appears  to  have  become  known  to  the  King  on  the 
25th,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  the  26th,  his  headquarters  were 
suddenly  removed  from  Bar-le-Duc,  fifteen  miles  northward  to 
Clermont,  the  orders  for  changing  the  direction  of  the  march 
having  already  been  issued.  The  procession  of  the  Third  army 
toward  Paris  was  stopped,  and  it  was  ordered  to  move  north¬ 
ward  for  co-operation  with  the  Fourth  army.  The  course  of 
both  armies  was  by  the  right  flank,  and  was  accomplished  with 
great  rapidity.  On  the  next  day,  the  27th,  the  Saxon  cavalry 
had  a  successful  encounter  at  Buzancy.  The  first  blow  struck 
by  the  infantry  was  on  the  29th,  at  Nouart,  and  on  the  30th  the 
marching  was  so  far  completed  that  the  two  armies  occupied  a 
line  about  eighteen  miles  long,  the  Fourth  in  the  right,  the 
Third  in  the  left  wing.  An  attack  was  now  possible,  and  this 
was  made  at  Beaumont  so  brilliantly,  that  De  Failly’s  corps, 
which  composed  the  principal  French  force  engaged,  was  sur¬ 
prised  and  overthrown.  Although  the  chief  part  of  MacMahon’ s 
army  remained  untouched,  it  was  held  fast  by  this  defeat,  and 
the  31st  of  August  was  occupied  by  his  enemies  in  closing 
around  it. 

The  author  gives  an  account  of  the  battle  by  an  eye-witness, 
which  was  published  in  the  London  Daily  News  and  cabled  to 
the  American  Associated  Press. 

START  FOR  THE  BATTLE-FIELD. 

On  Tuesday  morning  I  started  early  from  Grand  Pre,  the 
King’s  headquarters,  to  see  the  battle  which  was  expected  to 
take  place  on  a  line  from  the  village  of  Stonne  to  Stenay,  nearly 
midway,  passing  through  Beaumont.  MacMahon  was  believed 
to  be  trying  to  push  on  to  Metz,  according  to  his  plan  of  catch¬ 
ing  Steinmetz  between  himself  and  Bazaine.  But  the  Prussians 
were  always  just  thirty-six  hours  in  advance  of  MacMahon  from 
the  time  he  left  Rheims. 

I  had  not  gone  far  on  my  road  to  the  front  before  I  fell  in 
with  the  Crown  Prince’s  staff,  his  Royal  Highness  riding  at  the 
head  of  his  aides-de-camp,  in  the  plain  uniform  of  a  Prussian 


BEAUMONT ,  AUGUST  30. 


217 


general,  with  no  orders  but  the  star  “ Pour  la  Merits"  and  the 
iron  cross.  For  that  matter,  however,  any  Prussian  officer  who 
wears  these  two  is  not  permitted  to  display  any  others.  We 
rode  slowly  over  the  hills  until  we  reached  an  eminence  above 
the  valley  of  the  Bar,  a  small  stream  which,  on  the  French  map, 
is  honored  as  a  river.  On  this  hill  we  sat  for  a  terribly  long 
time. 

THE  BATTLE  BEGINS. 

But  at  12.15  o’clock  there  was  suddenly  a  puff  of  white 
smoke  from  a  hill  about  two  miles  in  front  of  us,  and  before 
we  had  fairly  time  to  turn  our  glasses  on  the  fyill,  a  French  bat¬ 
tery  of  six  guns  opened  on  the  Prussian  columns  advancing  in 
the  road  below.  So  ineffectual,  however,  was  their  fire,  that  it 
was  not  thought  advisable  to  send  up  a  Prussian  battery  to  re¬ 
ply  ;  especially  as  we  did  not  wish  to  let  the  enemy  know  what 
our  forces  were,  and  whether  we  were  a  corps  d’armee  or  merely 
an  advance  guard.  After  a  little  more  than  half  an  hour’s  fir¬ 
ing,  the  French  batteries  ceased  to  fire,  limbered  up,  and  retired 
down  the  hill  to  gain  tire  high  road  to  Beaumont.  Our  scouts 
discovered  that  the  French  were  in  full  retreat  in  the  direction 
of  Stonne,  where  they  again  took  up  a  position  later  in  the  day  ; 
and  that  the  cause  of  their  rapid  retreat  on  Stonne  was  the  ad¬ 
vance  of  our  right  wing,  Prince  Albert  of  Saxony  in  command, 
between  Beaumont  and  the  Meuse,  threatening  to  turn  the 
flank  of  the  French  left  on  the  ridge  of  the  hill  on  which  lies 
Stonne.  The  enemy  made  a  stand,  but  the  attack  from  the 
Prussian  right  was  so  determined,  that  the  French  could  offer 
no  effectual  resistance  on  this  hill ;  yet  they  had  a  very  strong 
position,  somewhat  resembling  that  occupied  by  them  on  the 
hill  above  Gravelotte  on  the  memorable  18th  of  August. 

THE  ARMY  RISKED  TO  SAVE  THE  EMPEROR. 

They  had  two  mitrailleuses,  and  fired  a  dozen  rounds  or  so, 
with  what  object  it  was  difficult  to  discover.  They  were  much 
too  far  from  our  most  advanced  columns  to  do  the  slightest 
mischief.  Possibly  they  hoped  to  attract  the  attention  of  their 
own  right  flank.  The  Emperor  was  with  them,  and  they  may 
well  enough  have  been  nervous  about  his  safety. 

After  some  time,  one  of  the  Prussian  batteries  advanced  up 
the  slope  and  shelled  the  Stonne  road  for  half  an  hour  to  see  if 
they  could  get  a  reply.  About  five  o’clock  we  advanced  rapidly 
from  our  hill  to  that  of  Stonne.  The  columns  climbing  the 

10 


218 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


slope  below  the  village  cheered  loudly  as  the  heir  to  the  throne 
passed  them.  I  was,  I  own,  not  very  much  inclined  to  cheer, 
as  the  Prince  had  been  compelled  by  the  nature  of  the  ground 
to  keep  well  away  from  any  other  point  which  could  give  us  a 
good  view  of  the  right.  In  that  direction  we  could  hear  heavy 
fighting  which  we  could  not  see. 

A  FRENCH  DIVISION  SURPRISED  IN  CAMP. 

However,  when  we  got  on  the  hill  above  Stonne,  we  had  a 
capital  view  of  nearly  the  whole  of  the  right ;  and  one  aide-de- 
camp  coming  up  with  the  news,  we  soon  learned  what  was  pass¬ 
ing  there.  A  whole  French  division  had  been  surprised  near 
Beaumont  in  camp,  and  had  fled,  leaving  all  their  tents  and 
baggage.  When  I  say  “  had  fled,”  I  mean  all  fled  who  could, 
and  whom  the  Prussians  were  not  too  quick  for.  More  than 
6000  were  made  prisoners  without  striking  a  blow. 

The  peasants  in  the  village  told  us  that  the  Emperor  had  been 
there  only  two  hours  before  the  Prussian  skirmishers  entered  it. 
This  was  confirmed  by  some  prisoners  taken.  In  the  woods 
on  our  left,  the  troops  that  had  been  opposed  to  us  had  fallen 
back  to  the  other  side  of  the  descent  beneath  us,  and  had  oc¬ 
cupied  the  sides  of  a  narrow  valley  leading  toward  Raucourt. 
It  was  most  important  for  the  French  to  defend  this  valley,  as, 
had  the  Prussians  been  able  to  reach  down  it,  they  would  have 
turned  the  French  right  flank,  getting  between  its  position  at 
Mouzon,  whither  it  had  fallen  back  from  Beaumont  and  the 
road  to  Sedan. 

THE  BATTLE  WAS  BEGUN  TOO  LATE. 

The  French  had  concealed  their  skirmishers  so  well,  that  we 
on  the  hill  were  astonished  to  hear  independent  firing  suddenly 
begin  as  our  foremost  tirailleurs  entered  the  low  ground,  and 
pushed  up  the  Raucourt  road.  It  was  necessary  for  us  to  act 
vigorously,  for  the  sun  was  sinking,  and  there  was  hardly  an 
hour  more  of  good  light.  “  It  is  too  late,  too  late,”  said  one  of 
the  Staff  to  me  ;  “had  we  got  here  at  2.30,  instead  of  nearly 
5.30,  we  could  have  forced  that  battery,  and  got  down  on  the 
valley  of  the  Meuse  by  Raucourt  to  Remilly,  broken  the 
bridge  there,  and  so  caught  the  French  between  the  river  and 
our  troops.” 

“  I  wish  I  could  understand  clearly,”  I  said,  “  what  the  French 
are  trying  to  do  this  morning  ;  are  they  trying  still  to  advance 
toward  Metz,  or  are  they  in  retreat  toward  Sedan,  having  aban- 


BE  A  UMONT,  AUGUST  30. 


219 


doned  all  hope  of  relieving  Bazaine  ;  in  other  words,  are  we 
fighting  their  advance-guard  or  their  rear-guard  ?  ” 

THE  FRENCH  ADVANCE  BECAME  A  RETREAT. 

“  Both,  my  dear  sir,”  answered  this  officer,  who,  though  I  did 
not  then  know  it,  being  a  stranger  at  the  Crown  Prince’s  head¬ 
quarters,  was  the  Count  Von  Eulenberg  himself,  “I  believe, 
though  no  one  is  certain ;  for  you  have  probably  discovered 
that  it  does  not  do  to  infer  from  ordinary  rules  what  the  French 
are  doing.  For  my  part,  I  believe  they  were  thinking  of  go¬ 
ing  on  toward  Metz,  when  the  Bavarians  surprised  De  Failly 
in  camp  near  Beaumont.  Now,  of  course,  they  are  retreating 
on  Sedan,  and  what  was  this  morning  meant  for  their  advance- 
guard  is  now  their  rear-guard.” 

Meanwhile  the  Prussians  had  put  two  guns  on  a  rise  of  ground 
from  which  they  could  shell  the  French  skirmishers  in  the  wood 
overhanging  the  valley  leading  to  Raucourt.  But  soon  their 
own  skirmishers  got  so  far  forward,  that  the  guns  had  to  cease 
firing  for  fear  of  hitting  them.  The  skirmishers  kept  gaining 
ground,  the  French,  however,  struggling  hard,  knowing  that  they 
were  lost  if  they  let  their  enemy  get  down  the  valley. 

BAVARIANS  CHARGE  ON  THE  MITRAILLEUSES. 

To  our  right  we  could  see  the  Bavarians  forward  of  Remilly 
from  Beaumont ;  but  there  the  valley  grew  broader,  and  the 
French  mitrailleuses  did  much  execution,  the  Bavarians  going  in 
with  great  determination,  not  waiting  for  the  artillery  to  silence 
the  mitrailleuses,  but  themselves  dashing  at  the  batteries. 

It  now  became  so  dark  that  we  could  see  by  the  flashes  of 
the  guns  that  the  Bavarians  were  steadily  advancing  up  the 
valley  toward  Remilly.  At  7,  and  from  7  till  8,  the  fire  from 
the  mitrailleuses  was  very  hot  — not  single  explosions,  but  one 
continuous  roar. 

FRITZ,  HAVING  THE  RHEUMATISM,  RIDES  HARD. 

Soon  after  eight  the  Crown  Prince  turned  his  horse’s  head, 
and  we  rode  back  to  a  little  village  named  Vaux.  As  we  came 
down  the  hillside  we  had  a  most  picturesque  view  of  the  regi¬ 
ments  encamped  about  us.  The  bivouac  fires  shone  brightly 
out,  the  moon  not  having  risen.  As  we  passed  through,  the 
men  came  trooping  out,  leaving  their  cooking  and  their  letters 
to  give  a  cheer  for  Fritz,  who,  poor  fellow,  had  the  rheumatism, 
and  dreading  the  night  air,  took  us  home  at  a  tremendous  pace 


220 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


over  wild  cross-roads,  to  the  great  danger  of  our  horses’  knees 
and  our  own  necks. 

Wednesday,  August  31.  — Terrible  struggle  near  Bazeilles. 
MacMahon  wounded.  The  Bavarians  receive  a  check.  Citi¬ 
zens  fire  on  the  Bavarian  troops,  and  they  burn  the  town  (2500 
inhabitants).  The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  crosses  the  Meuse, 
and  advances  on  Sedan.  The  King  is  in  command,  and,  during 
the  day,  orders  the  German  forces  to  march  into  positions  which 
will  enable  them  to  completely  surround  Sedan  in  the  morn¬ 
ing. 

PREPARING  FOR  SEDAN. 

Wednesday  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful.  The  Crown 
Prince  bivouacked  during  the  night  on  the  battle-field  five  miles 
to  the  south  of  Sedan,  while  the  impetuous  Saxon  Prince  crossed 
the  Meuse,  and  pursued  MacMahon  towards  Sedan. 

The  day  was  exhausted  mostly  in  marching  troops  to  po¬ 
sitions,  to  surround  Sedan  in  the  bloody  encounter  of  to-mor¬ 
row.  The  army  of  the  Crown  Prince  was  to  surround  the 
south  and  west  of  Sedan,  while  the  Saxon  Prince  was  to  sur¬ 
round  the  east  and  north.  During  the  31st,  the  Crown  Prince 
sent  the  First  and  Second  Bavarian  Corps  to  Remilly ;  the 
Eleventh  and  Fifth  Corps  proceeded  from  Stonne  to  Chenerv, 
the  King’s  headquarters,  and  had  orders  to  encamp  opposite 
Donchery  (three  miles  to  the  north  of  Sedan,  on  the  Meuse). 
The  Wiirtembergers  moved  towards  the  west  of  Sedan,  to  fill 
up  the  unoccupied  space.  This  completed  the  southern  and 
western  investment  of  Sedan,  the  First  and  Second  Prussian, 
Wiirtembergers,  and  the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Prussian,  making 
a  continuous  chain  from  Remilly  to  Donchery. 

The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  was  ready  to  move  against 
Sedan  from  the  east  with  the  Fourth  and  Eleventh  Corps,  while 
the  Saxon  and  Prussian  Guards  were  to  invest  the  north. 

THE  BA'I’TLE  OF  BAZEILLES. 

The  Crown  Prince  had  no  trouble  in  marching  his  forces 
for  the  investment  of  Sedan  ;  but  the  Saxon  Prince  met  some 
opposition,  which  brought  on  the  battle  of  Bazeilles,  and  which 
caused  the  burning  of  that  village. 


2  2  0 


GERMAN  FORCES. 

CROWN  PR. SAXONY: 

4.12. SAX  GD5  PR.GD3 

! . —  115.000 

GR. PR. PRUSSIA. 

5.6.11,1  &  2  BA V.  J70  0  00 


285.000 


FORCES. 

MACMAHON  (DE  WIMPFFEN.) 
1C  DUCROT 
5"  GOZE 
7-  F.DOUAV 
12-  LE  BRUN 

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BAZEILLES,  AUGUST  31. 


221 


While  King  William  was  giving  an  order  at  Chenery  that  the 
French  should  be  pursued  on  the  morrow  into  Belgium,  if 
they  were  not  immediately  disarmed  by  the  Belgian  authorities, 
the  Emperor  was  issuing  a  proclamation  in  Sedan,  which  was 
posted  on  all  the  walls,  saying,  “  that  he  had  confided  the  com¬ 
mand  of  the  armies  to  the  generals  whom  public  opinion  had 
seemed  to  select  as  most  capable  of  leading  them,  and  that  he 
himself  intended  to  fight  as  an  officer,  forgetting  for  a  while 
his  position  as  sovereign.” 

MacMahon,  in  making  his  retreat  before  the  Saxon  Prince, 
coming  upon  a  strong  position,  determined  to  make  one  more 
stand  for  the  Empire  and  for  France.  The  French  line  was 
south-east  of  Sedan.  The  right  was  in  front  of  Bazeilles,  and 
the  left  ran  away  towards  Bouillon,  in  front  of  Douzy.  The 
valleys  of  the  Meuse  and  Chieres  were  in  front  of  the  French 
line.  On  the  right  and  left  were  massed  regiments  of  all  arms  ; 
but  towards  the  left,  on  the  second  line,  was  a  very  large  force 
of  heavy  cavalry,  dragoons,  and  cuirassiers. 

The  Saxon  Crown  Prince  had  pushed  his  batteries  directly 
opposite  the  French  centre,  on  a  plateau  or  table-land  which 
terminated  abruptly,  and  made  it  a  very  strong  position.  For 
some  time  the  cannonading  continued  on  both  sides,  the  Prus¬ 
sians  constantly  reinforcing. 

At  two  o’clock  a  force  of  Prussian  infantry  advanced  across 
the  bridge  in  the  village  of  Douzy,  and  immediately  there  began 
a  very  sharp  fusillade,  lasting,  however,  not  more  than  ten  min¬ 
utes.  The  Prussians  sprang  forward  in  larger  forces,  but  a 
battery  of  six  mitrailleuses  advanced,  and  opened  fire  through 
the  trees.  Six  volleys  came  all  at  once.  The  Prussians  fell 
hurriedly  back,  leaving  whole  ranks  behind,  which  had  gone 
down  like  those  leaden  soldiers  which  children  play  with. 

At  three  o’clock  the  Saxon  Crown  Prirfce  ordered  an  ad¬ 
vance  of  the  Prussian  left  against  the  French  right,  to  cut 
off  the  French  army  from  Sedan.  This  led  to  some  terrible 
fighting,  where  for  hours  the  positions  were  lost  and  won,  and 
where  each  German  wave  rolled  down  the  slopes  only  to  give 
place  to  a  new  and  more  formidable  one. 

THE  BURNING  OF  BAZEILLES. 

While  the  artillery  fire  is  raging  on  both  sides,  a  brigade  of 
Bavarians  are  ordered  forward  past  the  village  of  Bazeilles. 
Shot  and  shell  are  falling  thick  and  fast  about  them.  Their 
eyes  are  on  the  front,  when  in  their  rear  flash  goes  a  half  dozen 


222 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


muskets  from  a  house,  and  two  Bavarians  drop  dead.  Their 
comrades  instantly  face  about  to  see  the  enemy.  He  is  hidden 
in  the  house.  The  Bavarians  had  been  victims  to  civilian 
treachery  at  Weisenburg,  and  filled  with  indignation  they  for¬ 
got  the  foe  in  front,  and  with  a  .shout  and  a  rush  broke  the 
doors  open  ;  but  the  intending  assassins  had  fled.  The  house 
was  set  on  fire,  and  the  inhabitants  opened  a  regular  fusillade  on 
the  Germans  from  every  window.  House  after  house  was 
burned.  It  was  the  madness  of  a  mob.  The  innocent  were 
the  victims.  Frantic  at  seeing  their  homes  in  flames,  men  and 
women  united  in  massacring  wounded  Bavarian  soldiers  in  the 
street,  and  were  to  be  seen  lifting  them  up  and  throwing  them 
into  the  flames.  Soon  the  whole  village  was  in  flames,  and 
2500  poor  people  are  homeless.  A  thousand  smoking  ruins 
and  silent  chimneys  will  tell  a  tale  as  sad  as  Pompeii,  as  mourn¬ 
ful  as  Gomorrah.  The  wrath  of  an  army  is  the  wrath  of  God. 
There  is  no  apology,  for  it  is  the  fruit  of  war.  It  will  be 
pointed  at  as  a  barbarism.  It  was  a  barbarism  ;  all  war  is  bar¬ 
barous.  A  thousand  begrimed  and  silent  chimneys  stand  in 
Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  tombstones  to  our  barbarism.  I 
pray  God  they  may  be  the  tombstones  of  war  in  America.* 
Bazeilles  is  but  the  Harper’s  Ferry  and  Chambersburg  of  the 
present  war. 

THE  BATTLE  AGAIN. 

Four P.M. — How  different  the  picture  on  the  French  right! 
The  fighting  was  splendid  ;  for  the  fortunes  of  the  hour  seemed 
to  balance  —  now  for  France,  now  for  Germany.  The  sun  was 
shining  brightly,  and  everything  was  plainly  visible.  The  glit¬ 
tering  of  weapons,  the  bright  and  showy  colors  of  the  French 
uniforms,  the  white  smoke  curling  under  the  blue  sky,  or  linger¬ 
ing,  vapor-like,  beneath  the  trees,  the  crackling  flames  rising 
from  the  burning  village  of  Bazeilles  —  the  whole  scene  formed  a 
spectacle  which  one  seldom  finds  himself  in  a  position  to  wit¬ 
ness. 

Five  P.M. — The  Prussian  fire  becomes  fiercer,  the  French  right 
is  forced  sullenly  backward  towards  Sedan,  and  at  dusk,  with 
the  forked  flames  of  Bazeilles  as  a  beacon,  they  withdraw  for 
the  night.  The  battle  had  swept  along  the  whole  line  for  hours, 
until  night  declared  again  for  German  arms  ;  and  MacMahon, 
wounded  and  exhausted,  retired  within  the  fortifications  of 
Sedan,  and  turned  his  army  over  to  Gen.  Wimpffen,  his  second 
in  command. 


*  The  author  appends  the  sequel  to  the  burning  of  Bazeilles  and  the  bloody  battles 

about  Sedan,  as  seen,  bereft  of  war’s  poetry  and  romance,  ten  days  later. 


BAZEILLES ,  AUGUST  31. 


223 


TEN  DAYS  LATER. 

BAZEILLES,  September  io.  —  Three  or  four  miles  from  Douzy  is  a  heap 
of  blackened  timbers,  bricks,  and  ashes.  Here  was  the  village  of  Bazeilles, 
which  was  destroyed  by  the  Prussians  in  the  fight  that  preceded  the  capitu¬ 
lation  of  Sedan.  When  the  French  troops  had  been  driven  back  from 
their  position  outside  the  village,  and  were  pursued  into  its  streets,  they  got 
into  the  houses,  and  fired  on  their  foes  from  the  windows  and  the  roofs. 
The  Prussians  could  not  drive  them  out  ;  and  the  Prussian  commander,  to 
his  eternal  infamy,  ordered  his  men  to  set  fire,  simultaneously,  to  every 
house  in  the  village.  The  fire  spread  witli  almost  lightning  speed  ;  in  ten 
minutes  the  whole  town  was  wrapped  in  sheets  of  flames,  and  hundreds  of 
families  —  fathers,  mothers,  and  children  — were 
ROASTED  TO  DEATH, 

while  the  combatants,  encircled  with  fire,  died  fighting  to  the  last.  The 
Germans  did  not  escape  from  the  destruction  they  brought  upon  the  un¬ 
armed  villagers :  the  fire  spread  so  fiercely  and  suddenly,  that  they  were 
themselves  hemmed  in  by  flames,  and  many  of  them,  especially  those  who 
were  wounded,  were  burned  in  the  pyre  they  had  kindled.  I  was  told  by 
the  cure  of  the  village,  who  was  himself  saved  only  by  an  accident,  that  out 
of  a  population  of  over  3000  souls,  not  more  than  a  third  were  now  living. 
Hundreds  were  burned  to  death  ;  hundreds  of  others  were  slain  by  the 
Prussians,  who,  maddened  at  their  own  desperate  straits,  attacked  every  one 
they  met  ;  and  hundreds  of  others  who  sought  refuge  in  the  cellars  of  their 
houses,  perished  there  by  suffocation.  This  is  not  a  tale  of  the  dark  ages 
I  am  telling  you  —  it  is  the  simple  story  of  what  took  place  in  a  pretty  and 
innocent  French  village,  on  Friday,  the  22d  of  September,  in  this  year  of 
grace  and  of  modern  civilization. 

PESTILENCE  HAS  BROKEN  OUT 

in  Sedan,  and  in  the  neighboring  villages  of  Carignan  and  Douzy.  Before 
the  German  army  moved  away  from  Sedan,  disease  had  begun  to  make 
havoc  in  its  ranks,  and  every  day  we  hear  from  those  who  come  hither  from 
the  rear  of  the  advancing  forces,  that  dysentery  and  cholera  hourly  slay  their 
scores  of  victims.  But  the  advancing  army  must  be  better  off  than  those 
they  have  left  behind  them.  The  pestilence  was  the  inevitable  consequence 
of  what  happened  after  the  battles.  As  usual,  no  report  of  the  losses  in 
these  engagements  has  yet  been  suffered  to  appear ;  but  it  is  certain  that 
while  the  number  of  killed  and  wounded  French  was  great,  the  losses  of  the 
Prussians  were  hideous.  Around  Douzy  and  Carignan,  however,  the  losses 
were  about  equal,  and  here,  for  the  second  and  third  days  after  the  battles, 
the  corpses  lay  in  heaps.  The  Prussian  grave-diggers  use  no  ceremony  in 
their  operations,  but  the  dead  were  too  many  for  them.  The  corpses,  in 
great  numbers,  remained  unburied.  They  putrefied  quickly,  and  the  air  be¬ 
came  tainted  with  the  fearful  odor.  The  battles  took  place  on  Friday  ;  on 
Monday  the  fields  were  still  covered  with  unburied  bodies  of  men  and  horses, 
and  the  stench  was  intolerable.  During  Sunday  and  Monday,  since  the 
dead  could  not  be  buried  quickly  enough,  a  new  plan  was  adopted  to  dis¬ 
pose  of  them.  They  were  consumed  by  fire.  The  plan  adopted  for  the 
accomplishment  of  this 

WHOLESALE  CREMATION 

was  curious.  In  various  places  in  the  field  a  deep  trench  in  the  form  of  a 
cross  was  dug;  afire  was  made  in  the  centre  of  this  trench,  and  the  currents 
of  air  coming  from  the  four  arms  of  the  cross-shaped  trench  gave  to  the 


224 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


flames  a  fierce  intensity.  Then  upon  the  fierce  fire  were  piled  the  bodies 
of  the  dead,  German  and  French  together,  and  these  were  left  to  burn, 
while  the  grave-diggers  went  on  with  their  work  of  burying  the  other  dead 
in  shallow  pits,  with  only  a  few  inches  of  earth  thrown  over  them.  For 
the  living  it  would  have  been  far  better  had  all  the  dead  been  burned  ;  for 
from  all  these  thousands  of  shallow  graves  a  pestilential  stench  is  now  aris¬ 
ing,  and  filling  the  air  with  the  seeds  of  death.  I  might  fill  columns  with 
descriptions  of  the  awful  scenes  on  this  battle-field,  which  covers  a  space  of 
ten  miles.  Among  the  dead  were  many  peasants,  and  even  some  women. 
How  they  came  to  be  among  the  soldiers,  no  one  knows ;  but  there  were 
their  corpses. 

SEDAN  AND  DEATH. 

Sedan,  Septemocr  io.  —  Never  before  in  the  world's  history  has  there 
been  seen  such  a  butchery  as  went  on  during  that  great  fight.  I  believe 
it  may  also  be  affirmed,  that  never  did  a  contest  in  arms  result  in  such  ter¬ 
rific  consequences  to  the  surviving  combatants,  and  to  the  people  whose 
country  has  been  made  the  scene  of  hostilities.  For  miles  around  Sedan 
ONE  SEES  NOTHING  BUT  DESTRUCTION  AND  RUIN  ;  AND  l-'ROM  MORN¬ 
ING  TILL  FAR  INTO  THE  NIGHT  PROCESSIONS  OF  THE  MAIMED  AND 
WOUNDED  ARE  PASSING  FROM  THE  FRENCH  FRONTIER  INTO  THE 
neutral  TERRITORY  of  Belgium.  Sedan  itself  is  one  vast  hospital,  and 
between  that  town  and  Bouillon,  a  distance  of  about  ten  English  miles,  there 
is  scarcely  a  church  or  a  house  from  which  the  white  flag  with  the  red  cross 
is  not  waving,  to  make  known  that  there  are  wounded  inside. 

Thursday,  September  i. —  Last  day  of  the  battles  near  Se¬ 
dan.  The  French  defeated,  with  great  slaughter,  after  a  bloody 
battle.  Bazaine  also  defeated  near  Metz,  and  forced  to  retire 
into  the  fortress.  10,000  French  driven  through  Mezieres  into 
Belgium,  and  disarmed.  General  De  Failly  wounded.  Entire 
French  force  surrenders  with  the  Emperor. 


SEDAN 

THE  WATERLOO  OF  THE  SECOND  EMPIRE. 

THE  KING’S  DESPATCH  TO  QUEEN  AUGUSTA. 

Sedan,  September  1,  3  o’clock  p.  m.  —  The  battle  has  raged  since  half¬ 
past  eight  o’clock  this  morning.  Our  forces  have  advanced  victoriously. 
The  Fourth,  Fifth,  and  Seventh  Corps  and  the  Bavarians  were  engaged. 
The  enemy  was  almost  entirely  driven  into  the  city. 

William. 

PRINCE  GEORGE’S  DESPATCH. 

Great  decisive  victory  at  Sedan,  wherein  the  Saxon  (Twelfth)  Corps  has 
played  the  prominent  part.  It  has  captured  trophies  and  prisoners  in 
great  numbers,  but  lost  heavily. 


George. 


SEDAN ;  THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


225 


FROM  TIIE  CROWN  PRINCE  OF  SAXONY. 

In  a  battle  on  September  i,  lasting  twelve  hours,  the  army  of  Mac- 
Mahon  has  been  destroyed  by  the  army  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia 
and  my  own.  The  Saxon  (Twelfth)  Corps  has  behaved  splendidly. 
George  and  myself  are  well.  I  do  not  know  the  losses  as  yet,  but  I  do  not 
believe  they  are  as  great  as  on  August  18. 

Albert. 

KING  WILLIAM  REPORTS  THE  BATTLE. 

( Translation .) 

Vendresse,  south  of  Sedan,  September  3,  1870. 

To  Queen  Augusta  : 

You  know  from  my  three  telegrams  the  whole  extent  of  the 
great  historic  event  which  has  just  happened.  It  is  like  a 
dream,  even  when  one  has  seen  it  hour  by  hour  developing  it¬ 
self.  When  I  consider  that  after  one  great  and  successful  war 
1  could  not  expect  more  glorious  things  yet  to  happen  during 
my  reign,  and  now  behold  this  historical  act  accomplished,  then 
I  bow  before  God,  who  alone  has  chosen  me,  my  army,  and  my 
allies,  to  perform  what  has  happened,  and  has  made  us  the  in¬ 
struments  of  His  will  ;  I  can  only  look  upon  it  in  this  light,  and 
in  humility  praise  God’s  guidance  and  grace. 

Now  let  me  briefly  give  you  a  picture  of  the  battle  and  its 
results. 

TROOPS  LOCATED. 

On  the  evening  of  the  31st  and  the  morning  of  the  1st  the 
army  had  moved  in  the  positions  assigned  all  around  Sedan. 
The  Bavarians  had  the  left  wing  at  Bazeilles  on  the  Meuse. 
Next  to  them  the  Saxons  in  the  direction  of  Moncelle  and 
Daigny ;  then  the  Guards  still  on  the  march  in  the  direction  of 
Givonne  ;  and  the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Corps  at  St.  Menges  and 
Fleigneux.  The  Meuse  making  here  a  sharp  bend,  no  troops 
were  stationed  from  St.  Menges  as  far  as  Donchery  ;  but  the 
latter  place  was  held  by  the  Wurtembergers,  who  at  the  same 
time  covered  the  rear  against  sorties  from  Mezieres.  The  cav¬ 
alry  division  under  Count  Stolberg,  in  the  plain  of  Donchery, 
formed  the  right  wing.  In  the  front  toward  Sedan  were  the  re¬ 
mainder  of  the  Bavarians. 

THE  BATTLE. 

In  spite  of  a  dense  fog,  the  fight  commenced  at  Bazeilles,  al¬ 
ready  early  in  the  morning,  and  gradually  developed  into  a  hot 
engagement,  in  which  house  after  house  had  to  be  taken,  last- 
10* 


226 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


ing  almost  the  whole  day,  and  the  Erfurt  Division,  under  Gen¬ 
eral  Schoeler  (in  the  reserve,  Fourth  Corps),  had  to  come  to 
the  assistance.  When  I  arrived,  at  eight  o’clock,  at  the  front, 
before  Sedan,  the  great  battery  was  just  opening  its  fire  on  the 
fortifications.  A  huge  artillery  combat  ensued  at  all  points, 
which  continued  for  hours,  and  during  which,  on  our  side, 
ground  was  gradually  gained.  The  villages  mentioned  were 
taken.  Very  deep  ravines  covered  with  timber  rendered  the 
advance  of  the  infantry  difficult,  and  favored  the  defence.  The 
villages  of  Illy  and  Floing  were  taken,  and  gradually  the  circle 
of  fire  was  drawn  closer  and  closer  around  Sedan.  It  was  a 
grand  sight  from  our  position,  on  a  dominating  eminence  be¬ 
hind  that  battery  mentioned,  to  the  right  of  the  village  of  Fre- 
nois,  and  forward  above  Pt.  Forey. 

The  stubborn  resistance  of  the  enemy  gradually  slackened,  as 
we  could  see  from  the  battalions  in  disorder,  hastily  retiring 
from  the  woods  and  villages.  The  cavalry  attempted  to  attack 
some  battalions  of  our  Fifth  Corps,  which  held  out  and  bore 
themselves  splendidly.  The  cavalry  dashed  through  the  inter¬ 
vals  between  the  battalions,  then  wheeled  and  returned  the 
same  way,  repeating  it  three  times  with  different  regiments,  so 
that  the  field  was  covered  with  dead  men  and  horses.  We  could 
see  it  all  distinctly  from  our  position.  I  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  learn  the  number  of  that  brave  regiment. 

THE  ROUT. 

The  retreat  of  the  enemy  in  many  places  becoming  a  rout, 
and  all  —  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  —  crowding  into  the 
town  and  the  nearest  surroundings,  but  still  no  indication  ap¬ 
pearing  of  the  disposition  of  the  enemy  to  save  himself  from 
this  desperate  condition  by  capitulation,  nothing  remained  but 
to  order  the  town  to  be  bombarded  by  the  battery  before  men¬ 
tioned. 

THE  SURRENDER. 

In  less  than  twenty  minutes  it  was  burning  in  several 
places ;  that,  together  with  the  many  burning  villages  in  the 
whole  radius  of  the  battle,  made  an  appalling  impression,  and  I 
ordered  the  firing  to  cease,  and  sent  Lieutenant-Colonel  Von 
Bronsart,  of  the  staff,  with  a  white  flag,  as  truce-bearer,  offering 
capitulation  to  the  army  and  fortress.  He  was  met  by  a  Bava¬ 
rian  officer,  who  reported  that  a  French  truce-bearer  with  a 
white  flag  had  appeared  at  the  gate.  Lieutenant-Colonel  Von 
Bronsart  was  admitted,  and  upon  his  inquiry  for  the  General-in- 


SEDAN,  THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


227 


Chief,  he  was  unexpectedly  conducted  before  the  Emperor,  who 
wanted  at  once  to  deliver  him  a  letter  addressed  to  me.  When 
upon  inquiry  by  the  Emperor  what  his  orders  were,  the  reply 
was  given  :  To  summon  army  and  fortress  to  surrender. 

THE  EMPEROR’S  LETTER. 

The  Emperor  directed  Bronsart  to  address  himself  in  the  mat¬ 
ter  to  General  De  Wimpflfen,  who  had  just  assumed  command  in 
place  of  MacMahon,  wounded,  and  stated  that  he  would  send  his 
letter  to  me  by  Adjutant-General  Reille.  It  was  seven  o’clock 
when  Reille  and  Bronsart  came  to  me.  You  can  imagine  what 
impression  it  made  upon  me  especially,  and  upon  all.  Reille 
dismounted,  and  delivered  to  me  the  letter  of  his  Emperor,  add¬ 
ing  that  he  had  no  further  orders.  Before  opening  the  letter  I 
said  to  him  :  “  But  I  demand  as  first  condition,  that  the  army 
lay  down  their  arms.”  The  letter  commences  thus  :  “ N'avant 
pas  pu  mourir  it  la  tete  de  mes  troupes ,  je  depose  moil  epee  <1  Votre 
Majcste  ”  (not  having  been  able  to  die  at  the  head  of  my  troops, 
I  laydown  my  sword  before  your  Majesty), —  leaving  every¬ 
thing  further  to  my  discretion. 

THE  KING’S  REPLY. 

My  reply  was,  that  I  regretted  the  manner  in  which  we  had 
mer,  and  requested  that  a  plenipotentiary  be  sent,  when  the  ca¬ 
pitulation  could  be  concluded.  I  had  given  the  letter  to  Gen¬ 
eral  Reille.  I  spoke  a  few  words  to  him  as  an  old  acquain¬ 
tance,  and  thus  ended  this  act.  I  gave  Moltke  full  powers  to 
treat,  and  directed  Bismarck  to  remain  behind,  in  case  political 
questions  should  come  up,  and  then  rode  to  my  carriage,  and 
drove  to  this  place. 

JOY  OF  THE  ARMY. 

I  was  everywhere  on  the  road  saluted  with  thundering  hur¬ 
rahs  by  the  trains  moving  up,  and  soldiers  were  singing  every¬ 
where  the  national  hymn.  It  was  sublime.  Everywhere  lights 
had  been  lit,  so  that  now  and  then  we  drove  in  the  midst  of  an 
improvised  illumination.  I  arrived  here  at  eleven  o’clock,  and 
drank  with  my  suite  the  welfare  of  the  army  that  had  accom¬ 
plished  this  great  result.  No  report  having  reached  me  from 
Moltke  up  to  the  morning  of  the  second  of  the  result  of  the  ca¬ 
pitulation  treaty  which  was  to  have  been  made  in  Donchery,  I 
drove,  at  eight  o’clock,  according  to  arrangement,  to  the  battle¬ 
field,  and  there  met  Moltke,  who  came  to  get  my  consent  to 


228 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


the  terms  of  capitulation  proposed,  and  at  the  same  time  in¬ 
form  me  that  the  Emperor  had  left  Sedan  at  five  o’clock,  and 
had  come  to  Donchery.  As  he  wished  to  speak  to  me,  I  se¬ 
lected  for  our  meeting  a  little  castle  with  a  park,  which  was 
close  by.  At  ten  o’clock  Moltke  and  Bismarck  made  their 
appearance  with  the  articles  of  capitulation,  signed,  and  at  one 
o’clock  I  set  out  with  Fritz,  escorted  by  a  cavalry  guard. 

THE  KING  AND  THE  EMPEROR. 

I  dismounted  at  the  castle,  and  the  Emperor  came  to  meet  me. 
The  interview  lasted  fifteen  minutes.  We  were  both  deeply 
moved  at  thus  meeting  again.  What  I  felt,  having  seen  Napo¬ 
leon  three  years  ago  in  the  very  summit  of  his  power,  I  cannot 
describe. 

After  this  interview,  from  half-past  three  to  half-past  eight 
o’clock,  I  rode  along  the  front  of  the  whole  army  before  Sedan. 
The  reception  by  the  troops,  the  meeting  with  the  decimated 
Corps  of  Guards,  all  this  I  cannot  describe  to  you  to-day.  I  was 
profoundly  moved  by  so  many  tokens  of  love  and  devotion. 
Now,  good-by ;  with  throbbing  heart  at  the  close  of  such  a 
letter. 

Wilhelm. 


THE  BATTLE  OF  SEDAN. 

( Translated  from  German  Official  Report.) 

The  Prussian  Crown  Prince  invests  the  north  of  Sedan  with 
the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Corps,  and  the  Wiirtembergers,  the 
west  with  the  Sixth  in  reserve,  the  south  with  the  First  and 
Second  Bavarian,  while  the  Saxon  Crown  Prince,  Albert,  invests 
the  east  with  the  Twelfth  and  Fourth  Corps  and  the  Guards 
Corps,  with  the  Fourth  division  of  cavalry. 

The  Germans  have  240,000  effective  men,  and  60,000  in  re¬ 
serve. 

The  French  have  MacMahon’s  First  Corps  (commanded  by 
General  Ducrot) ;  De  Failly’s  old  Fifth  Corps  (commanded  by 
General  De  Failly  until  wounded) ;  General  Felix  Douay’s 
Seventh  Corps  ;  and  the  Twelfth  Corps  (General  Lebrun) — in  all 
about  110,000  effective  men.  The  author  gives  a  translation 
of  the  Prussian  official  report,  as  sent  to  the  War  Office  in 
Berlin  by  the  Prussian  Secretary  of  War,  Von  Roon  : 

THE  ORIGINAL  PLAN. 

It  was  originally  intended  to  put  off  the  decisive  blow  to 
September  2.  It  seemed  desirable  to  give  a  day’s  rest  to  the 


SEDAN,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


229 


Saxon  army,  which  had  undergone  considerable  fatigue  in  their 
forced  marches  on  the  30th  and  31st.  But  when  the  King,  be¬ 
tween  five  and  six  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  31st,  passed 
Chenery  on  his  way  to  Vendresse,  he  held  a  consultation  with 
the  Crown  Prince  and  Generals  Moltke  and  Blumenthal,  in 
consequence  of  which  he  determined  that  .the  attack  of  Sedan, 
and  the  French  lines  between  the  Meuse  and  the  Ardennes, 
should  be  undertaken  on  the  ensuing  day.  Toward  one  o’clock 
in  the  morning  of  September  1,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony 
received  orders  to  advance.  Fire  was  to  be  opened  at  five 
A.M. 

LINE  OF  BATTLE. 

Our  line  of  battle  was  formed  in  this  wise  :  On  our  right  we 
had  the  army  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony.  His  van  con¬ 
sisted  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  d’Armee;  next  came  the  Fourth 
and  the  Guards,  the  rear  being  brought  up  by  the  Fourth  divi¬ 
sion  of  cavalry,  with  their  back  to  Remilly.  Those  troops  of 
the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  still  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Meuse, 
crossed  at  Douzy.  To  the  left  of  his  army  was  stationed  the 
First  Bavarian  Corps,  and  behind  this  the  Second.  The  Bava¬ 
rians  threw  their  bridge  opposite  the  village  of  Bazeilles.  The 
Eleventh  Prussian  Corps  had  placed  its  pontoons  during  the 
night  about  one  thousand  paces  below  Donchery.  A  little  to 
the  left  crossed  the  Fifth  Corps  on  another  bridge,  and  still 
further  in  the  same  direction,  near  the  village  of  Dom-le-Mesnil, 
the  Wiirtembergers.  The  Sixth  Corps,  as  a  reserve,  was  sta¬ 
tioned  between  Attigny  and  Le  Chene.  To  these  troops  were 
opposed  the  corps  of  MacMahon,  Failly,  Canrobert,  the  rem¬ 
nants  of  Douay’s  army,  and  the  newly-formed  Twelfth  Corps 
under  General  Lebrun.  The  centre  of  the  French  position  was 
the  fortress  of  Sedan,  their  flanks  extending  from  Givonne  on 
the  left  to  Mezieres  on  the  right.  In  the  rear  of  the  French 
position  were  seen  the  spurs  of  the  Ardennes. 

CROWN  PRINCE’S  HEADQUARTERS. 

The  Crown  Prince  left  Chenery  in  his  carriage  at  four  in  the 
morning.  Having  mounted  his  horse  near  Cheveuse,  on  the 
road  to  Donchery,  he  took  up  his  position  on  a  hill  projecting 
over  the  valley  of  the  Meuse,  near  the  town  of  Donchery, 
not  far  from  a  small  mansion  called  Chateau-Donchery. 
P'rom  this  point  the  whole  array  of  the  German  army  could  be 
surveyed,  and  the  progress  of  the  battle  watched  in  all  direc¬ 
tions. 


230 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


SEDAN. 

Sedan  is  situate  at  one  of  the  finest  points  of  the  valley  of  the 
Meuse.  Hills  crowned  with  forests  rise  in  terraces  on  either 
side  of  the  river.  On  the  right  bank  there  is  a  narrow  strip  of 
meadow-land  by  the  water-side ;  on  the  left,  a  little  to  the  left 
of  Sedan,  is  an  open  plain,  with  the  town  of  Donchery  pleas¬ 
antly  situated  in  its  centre.  The  plain  is  traversed  by  a  slight 
elevation.  To  the  right  the  river  Meuse  makes  a  double  curve, 
enclosing  a  strip  of  land  on  which  lies  the  village  of  Iges,  with 
Villette  to  the  left,  and  Glaize  to  the  right.  Between  Iges  and 
Sedan  there  is  Floing,  and  further  to  the  right  Givonne  on  the 
right  bank.  The  main  road  between  Donchery  and  Sedan  pro¬ 
ceeds  from  a  bridge  at  the  former  city,  and  half-way  touches  the 
village  of  Frenoy.  Bazeilles,  which  was  opposite  to  the  Bava¬ 
rians,  is  southwest  of  Sedan  ;  Douzy,  where  the  Guards  crossed, 
is  on  the  extreme  right. 

THE  BATTLE  BEGINS. 

A  dense  fog  covered  the  valley  and  the  hills.  Only  at  half¬ 
past  seven  in  the  morning,  the  sun  broke  through  the  clouds, 
when  the  day  became  hot  and  sultry.  The  army  of  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Saxony  began  operations  a  little  after  five  o’clock. 
At  half-past  six  a  continuous  cannonade  was  heard  on  our 
right,  somewhat  in  the  rear  of  Sedan,  indicating  the  left  flank 
of  the  enemy  to  have  been  attacked  by  our  troops.  But  the 
French  were  in  excellent  position  on  the  hills,  and  could  not 
be  so  easily  dislodged.  While  the  fight  was  going  on  in  this 
locality,  our  left  wing  prepared  to  turn  the  other  flank  of  the 
enemy.  The  Eleventh  Corps  proceeded  along  the  slight  eleva¬ 
tion  in  the  midst  of  the  plain ;  the  Fifth  marched  straight  on  to 
get  to  the  enemy’s  rear.  According  to  the  plan  of  the  battle, 
these  corps  were  eventually  to  effect  a  junction  with  our  right 
wing,  and,  entirely  surrounding  the  enemy,  to  cut  off  his  retreat 
toward  the  Ardennes.  The  Wiirtembergers  and  the  Fourth 
Cavalry  division,  subsequently  sent  to  their  support,  were  to 
protect  the  plain  in  case  the  enemy  should  push  forward  in  this 
direction,  which,  however,  was  not  very  probable,  as  he  would 
have  found  it  difficult  to  cross  the  Meuse,  and  indeed,  had  him¬ 
self  destroyed  the  railway  bridge  between  Donchery  and  Sedan. 
At  a  quarter  past  nine  the  Eleventh  Corps  d’Armee  had  so  far 
turned  the  enemy’s  flank  as  to  come  close  upon  his  position. 
An  increased  fire  of  the  batteries  marked  this  moment.  The 
Saxons,  who  had  designedly  reserved  their  strength  for  this  con- 


SEDAN,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


231 


tingency,  now  attacked  with  an  overpowering  shock.  Shortly 
after  the  right  wing  of  the  French  began  to  fall  back,  but  only 
to  find  themselves  in  the  iron  embrace  of  the  two  Prussian 
corps  in  their  rear.  At  the  point  where  the  Eleventh  Corps 
descended  from  the  hills  upon  the  surprised  enemy  the  resist¬ 
ance  of  the  French  sensibly  diminished  since  half-past  ten.  In 
some  places,  especially  at  Iges  and  on  the  fields  leading  down 
to  Sedan,  the  fight  assumed  a  desperate  character.  Being 
chiefly  attacked  by  artillery,  the  French  sent  their  horse  to 
charge  our  guns  in  flank.  The  French  cavalry  made  two  bril¬ 
liant  onslaughts,  some  regiments,  and,  above  all,  the  Chasseurs 
d’Afrique,  behaving  with  the  utmost  gallantry.  The  infantry 
gave  way  earlier,  the  number  of  those  battalions  which  surren¬ 
dered  without  further  resistance  being  considerable  even  before 
twelve  o’clock.  In  the  meantime  the  Fifth  Corps  had  per¬ 
formed  the  long  distance  to  the  extreme  heights,  and  after  a 
sharp  encounter  succeeded  in  driving  back  the  detachments 
making  for  the  Ardennes. 

FRENCH  ARTILLERY  REPULSED. 

Things  now  assumed  a  favorable  aspect.  At  half-past  twelve 
it  was  announced  that  the  French  reserve  artillery,  which  the 
Emperor  had  opposed  to  our  Fifth  Corps,  was  repulsed,  and 
that  only  a  few  scattered  bodies  of  infantry  had  effected  their 
retreat  across  the  frontier.  Flight  being  thus  rendered  impos¬ 
sible,  we  had  to  deal  only  with  the  central  portion  of  the  battle¬ 
field  —  the  slight  elevation  crossing  the  plains,  the  hills  stretch¬ 
ing  from  it  to  Sedan,  and  the  fortress  itself,  which  formed  the 
last  refuge  for  the  troops  driven  from  the  heights. 

SURROUNDING  SEDAN. 

Since  quarter  of  one,  the  fire  of  the  Prussian  batteries  on  the 
right  and  left  wing  so  rapidly  approached  one  another,  that  it 
was  evident  the  enemy  would  soon  be  completely  surrounded. 
It  was  a  grand  sight  to  watch  the  sure  and  irresistible  advance 
of  the  Guards,  marching  on,  on  the  left  wing,  partly  behind, 
and  partly  by  the  side  of  the  Twelfth  Corps  d’Armee.  Since 
quarter  past  ten,  the  Guards,  preceded  by  their  artillery,  had 
been  pushing  toward  the  wood  to  the  left  of  Sedan.  By  the 
advancing  smoke  of  their  fire  we  noticed  how  fast  they  were 
gaining  ground. 

They  were  effectively  assisted  by  the  Bavarians.  After  a 
smart  resistance  by  the  French,  the  Bavarians  had  stormed 


232 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  STAN  WAR. 


Bazeilles,  which  was  burned.  They  then  took  Balan,  south¬ 
west  of  Sedan,  where  a  narrow  gorge  gave  them  much  trouble. 
Toward  noon  they  posted  two  batteries  in  a  meadow  to  the  left 
of  the  road  to  Sedan.  From  this  point  they  fired  on  Villette, 
the  spire  of  which  was  soon  enveloped  in  flames.  The  French 
artillery  having  been  compelled  to  yield  at  this  point  likewise, 
there  was  nothing  to  stop  the  Eleventh  and  Twelfth  Corps 
from  pressing  forward  in  th<p  direction  of  Sedan.  The  enemy 
was  now  hastening  to  make  good  his  retreat  to  the  fortress 
walls.  While  the  fight  was  still  going  on,  large  numbers  of 
prisoners  were  seen  being  led  down  the  hills  to  the  plain. 

In  the  meantime  the  Guards,  a  little  before  two  o’clock,  had 
effected  a  junction  with  the  Fifth  Corps,  on  the  slopes  in  the 
distance.  This  closed  the  circle  around  the  French. 

COMPLETE  INVESTMENT. 

Encompassed  by  a  living  wall,  they  found  themselves  thrust 
back  within  the  ramparts  of  their  small  stronghold. 

Here  and  there  villages  and  hamlets  were  still  burning. 
Small  detachments  were  continuing  the  fight  in  isolated  locali¬ 
ties,  and  the  roar  of  cannon  had  not  yet  entirely  ceased.  A 
little  later  there  was  a  pause,  when  we  waited  for  the  French 
commanders  to  resolve  on  what  they  had  better  do  in  their  em¬ 
barrassed  position.  If  they  determined  on  prolonged  resist¬ 
ance,  the  fate  of  Sedan  was  sealed. 

VICTORY. 

Toward  four  o’clock  the  Crown  Prince  sent  the  message 
“  Complete  victory  ”  to  headquarters.  Immediately  after,  His 
Royal  Highness,  with  the  Duke  of  Coburg,  the  other  Princes, 
and  the  orderly  officers,  proceeded  to  the  King,  who  had  halted 
during  the  day  on  a  hill  to  the  right  of  the  heights  of  Don- 
chery.  As  there  was  no  white  flag  to  be  seen  on  the  tower  of 
Sedan,  we  resumed  firing  at  half-past  four.  The  Bavarian 
batteries  sent  the  first  shots  into  the  fortress.  Within  a  quar¬ 
ter  of  an  hour  one  of  our  igniting  grenades  set  the  place  on 
fire.  A  straw  shed  having  caught  fire,  dense  black  smoke 
rose  immediately  to  the  sky.  Upon  this  the  enemy  opened 
negotiations.  The  Crown  Prince  was  still  with  the  King,  when 
news  arrived  that  the  Emperor  Napoleon  was  in  Sedan.  We 
now  became  aware  that  we  had  not  only  crushed  the  principal 
army  of  the  French,  but  also,  in  a  twelve  hours’  fight,  secured 
a  guarantee  for  the  victorious  issue  of  the  war. 


METZ,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


233 


It  is  a  fact  that  Napoleon,  when  he  became  aware  of  the 
probable  results  of  the  battle,  for  four  hours  stood  the  fire  of 
Prussian  grenades  near  the  village  of  Iges. 

At  nine  o’clock,  when  the  Crown  Prince  returned  from  the 
scene  of  victory,  a  festal  reception  awaited  him  at  his  head¬ 
quarters.  The  main  street  of  the  village  was  illuminated,  the 
soldiers  sang  and  shouted,  and  the  band  struck  up  the  German 
National  Anthem. 

BAZAINE’S  BATTLE  NORTH  OF  METZ  (. August  31). 

(See  map,  p.  156.) 

Before  the  defeat  of  the  Emperor  at  Sedan,  he  had  ordered 
Bazaine  to  fight  his  way  out  of  Metz,  and  join  the  Sedan  army 
near  Montmedy.  To  show  the  concert  of  action,  the  author 
gives  Bazaine’s  reply,  which  explains  his  fight  on  the  31st: 

To  the  Emperor  :  Metz,  August  3. 

I  received  your  dispatch  of  the  19th  instant  at  Rheims.  I  am  moving 
in  the  direction  of  Montmedy,  and  will  be  on  the  line  of  the  river  Aisne 
the  day  after  to-morrow.  I  shall  act  according  to  circumstances  in  trying 
to  come  to  your  assistance.  Bazaine. 

In  obedience  to  this  order  and  reply,  Bazaine  gave  battle  to 
Prince  Charles  on  the  morning  of  the  31st.  The  assault  was 
furious  and  the  battle  was  glorious,  though  it  resulted  in  a 
French  defeat.  De  Caen  died  during  the  battle.  General 
Manteuffel  commanded  the  Prussian  forces  at  the  commence¬ 
ment,  forcing  Bazaine  back  into  the  fortress.  After  his  defeat, 
Bazaine  sent  the  following  dispatches  : 

To  the  Minister  of  War,  Paris  :  Metz,  September  1. 

After  a  sortie,  executed  with  all  my  strength,  and  which  brought  on  an 
obstinate  fight  of  two  days’  duration  round  St.  Barbe,  we  are  again  in¬ 
trenched  in  our  camp  before  Metz,  with  little  ammunition  for  our  field 
artillery,  and  lacking  meat  and  biscuits.  The  town  is  full  of  wounded. 
The  sanitary  condition  is  rather  bad.  Notwithstanding  our  severe  struggle 
the  army  preserves  its  firm  spirit.  I  continue  my  effort  to  extricate  our¬ 
selves.  General  De  Caen  is  dead.  The  wounded  and  sick  amount  to 
about  18, coo.  Bazaine. 

To  the  Emperor:  Metz,  September  1,  1870. 

It  is  altogether  necessary  that  the  army  should  know  what  is  going  on  in 
Paris,  and  generally  in  France.  We  are  without  communication  with  the 
interior.  The  strangest  reports  have  been  spread  by  French  prisoners  who 
have  been  sent  back  by  the  enemy.  These  reports  are,  indeed,  of  an 
alarming  nature.  It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  you  should  supply 
us  with  instruction  and  information.  We  are  surrounded  by  strong  forces. 
I  tried,  but  in  vain,  to  break  through  the  Prussian  line  yesterday.  (See 
Prussian  dispatch ,  p.  357.) 

The  1st  and  9th  Corps  and  Gen.  Rummer’s  division  (line  and 


234 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


landwehr),  and  the  Twenty-eighth  Infantry  Brigade,  participated 
in  the  engagements.  The  principal  fights  took  place  at  Ser- 
vigny,  Noisseville,  and  Retonfay. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  SEDAN. 

( French  account .) 

Thursday,  September  i. — At  seven  o’clock  the  cannon¬ 
ade  began  in  earnest ;  some  slight  firing  having  taken  place 
earlier.  The  Prussian  batteries  facing  us  appeared  to  me 
much  more  numerous.  There  were  batteries  everywhere. 
They  roared  from  every  point  of  the  Prussian  line,  which  then 
stretched  nearly  parallel  in  front  of  the  French.  I  could  fol¬ 
low  the  falling  of  their  shells,  which  exploded  as  they  touched 
the  ground,  and  fell  with  wonderful  precision.  I  noticed  also 
how  quickly  they  changed  and  corrected  their  fire.  As  soon  as 
a  French  corps  took  up  a  position  it  was  instantly  assailed  by 
shells.  The  first  would,  perhaps,  fall  a  few  feet  short  or  be¬ 
yond,  but  the  second  or  third  was  sure  to  find  its  way  to  the 
troops,  and  do  its  awful  work  among  them.  The  French  shells, 
on  the  contrary,  exploded  generally  before  they  reached  the 
ground,  and  the  smoke  of  the  explosion  formed  innumerable 
little  clouds  at  different  heights,  some  so  high  that  the  shell 
could  do  no  harm  to  the  enemy. 

I  noticed  some  inexplicable  movements.  A  few  squadrons 
of  Prussian  cavalry  made  as  if  they  would  charge  a  French 
foi'ce  which  was  toward  the  left.  Immediately 

TWO  REGIMENTS  OF  FRENCH  CAVALRY  CHARGED 
in  turn  upon  the  Prussian  squadrons,  which  fell  back  and  fled. 
But  at  the  same  moment  a  Prussian  corps  of  infantry  opened 
a  murderous  fire  upon  those  too  eager  French  cavalry  regi¬ 
ments,  and  they  came  back  sadly  shattered  from  their  rash  pur¬ 
suit.  About  nine  o’clock  the  Prussians  were  extending  farther 
to  the  left ;  for,  on  asking  whether  certain  new  batteries  were 
French,  I  was  told  they  were  Prussian.  The  Prussian  line 
was  evidently  curling  around  us. 

I  have  learned  since  that  the  Crown  Prince  had  crossed  the 
Meuse  during  the  night,  about  five  leagues  from  Sedan,  and 
that  this  had  not  been  known  to  MacMahon.  A  large  force  of 
Bavarians  must  also  have  arrived  after  the  commencement  of 
the  battle,  for  it  was  Bavarian  troops  who  began  pounding  us 
from  the  left.  At  half-past  ten  o’clock 

THE  ADVANCE  OF  THE  PRUSSIANS 
was  perceptible  on  both  wings  at  the  same  time.  Some  French 


SEDAN,  THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


235 


infantry,  which  were  close  to  the  town  on  the  east  side,  gave 
way,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  rather  quickly.  Soon  afterward  shells 
were  coming  from  behind  my  left,  and  it  became  evident  that 
the  French  position  had  been  turned,  and  that  a  fresh  German 
corps  had  taken  a  position  in  our  rear. 

The  reserves  were  now  necessarily  directed  against  these 
points.  The  battery  near  which  I  stood  was  already  in  action, 
and  I  thought  it  quite  time  to  beat  a  retreat.  The  place  was 
becoming  as  dangerous  as  any  in  the  field.  Among  the  guns 
close  to  me,  the  Prussian  shells  began  falling  with  their  usual 
beautiful  precision.  So  I  got  on  the  other  side  of  the  slope, 
and  made  my  way  toward  the  town. 

THE  PRUSSIAN  CIRCLE  CONTRACTING. 

As  the  road  to  Bouillon,  which  crossed  the  field  of  battle, 
was  wholly  closed  to  me  now,  I  also  perceived  that  I  should  be 
shut  up  in  that  circle  which  the  Prussians  had  been  drawing 
about  the  army  and  the  town,  and  which  was  ultimately  com¬ 
pleted.  I  made  my  way  as  fast  as  I  could,  by  the  safest  paths. 
When  I  reached  the  suburb,  before  the  Porte  de  Balan,  I  found 
it  encumbered  with  soldiers  of  all  corps,  hastening,  as  I  was, 
into  the  town.  It  was  a  defeat,  evidently,  yet  it  was  not 
eleven  o’clock,  and  the  battle  was  destined  to  continue,  at  va¬ 
rious  points,  for  some  time  longer,  though  continuing  without 
any  real  hope  of  victory. 

THE  FRENCH  ROUTED. 

To  one  entering  the  town  as  I  did,  there  was  no  longer  any 
battle  to  describe.  It  was  first  a  retreat  and  too  soon  a  rout. 
I  thought  myself  lucky  to  get  away  from  the  field  as  I  did  j  for 
an  hour  afterward  the  rout  of  those  forces  that  had  been  near 
by  me  was  complete.  Already  soldiers  were  crushing  against 
each  other  in  the  struggle  to  get  inside  the  town.  Dismounted 
cavalry  were  trying  to  make  their  way,  some  even  by  the  ram¬ 
parts,  leaping  down  from  the  counterscarp  ;  others  forcing  their 
way  in  by  the  postern  gates.  From  a  nook  of  the  ramparts, 
where  I  rested  a  moment,  I  saw  also  cuirassiers  jumping  — 
horses  and  all  —  into  the  moat,  the  horses  breaking  their  legs 
and  ribs.  Men  were  scrambling  over  each  other.  There  were 
officers  of  all  ranks  —  Colonels,  and  even  Generals,  in  uni¬ 
forms  which  it  was  impossible  to  mistake,  mixed  in  this  shame¬ 
ful  melee.  Behind  all  came  guns,  with  their  heavy  carriages 
and  powerful  horses,  forcing  their  way  into  the  throng,  maim¬ 
ing  and  crushing  the  fugitives  on  foot. 


23G 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


TERRIBLE  SCENES  IN  SEDAN. 

To  add  to  the  confusion  and  horror,  the  Prussian  batteries 
had  by  this  time  advanced  within  range,  and  the  Prussian  shells 
began  falling  among  the  struggling  masses  of  men. 

Bazeilles,  Daigny,  Givonne,  lges,  Frenoy,  and  the  woods  of 
Donchery  formed  a  wall  of  fire  around  Sedan.  From  every 
side  the  terrible  fire  rained  down  upon  the  French. 

On  the  ramparts  were  the  National  Guards,  manning  the  guns 
of  the  town,  and  replying  with  more  or  less  effect  to  the  near¬ 
est  Prussian  batteries.  It  was  a  scene  horrible  enough  to  have 
suited  the  fancy  of  Gustave  Dore  himself.  I  could  form  but 
one  idea  of  our  unhappy  army :  that  it  was  at  the  bottom  of  a 
seething  caldron. 

I  hurried  back  as  best  I  could  to  my  hotel,  following  the  nar¬ 
row  streets  where  the  shells  were  least  likely  to  reach  the 
ground.  Wherever  there  was  a  square  or  open  place,  I  came 
upon  the  bodies  of  horses  and  men  quite  dead  or  still  quiver¬ 
ing,  mown  to  pieces  by  bursting  shells.  Reaching  my  hotel,  I 
found  the  street  in  which  it  stood  choked  like  the  rest  with 
wagons,  guns,  horses,  and  men.  Most  luckily  at  this  moment 
the  Prussian  fire  did  not  enfilade  this  street,  for  a  train  of  cais¬ 
sons  filled  with  powder  blocked  the  whole  way,  itself  unable 
to  move  backward  or  forward.  There  was  every  chance  that 
these  caissons  would  explode,  the  town  being  then  on  fire  in 
two  places  ;  and  I  began  to  think  Sedan  was  a  place  more  un¬ 
comfortable  than  even  the  battle-field  over  which  a  victorious 
enemy  was  swiftly  advancing. 

THE  EMPEROR  UNDER  FIRE. 

From  friends  whom  I  found  at  the  hotel,  I  learned  that  the 
Emperor,  who  had  started  early  in  the  morning  for  the  field  of 
battle,  had  returned  about  the  same  time  that  I  did,  and 
passed  through  the  streets  with  his  staff.  One  of  my  friends 
was  near  him  on  the  Place  Turenne  when  a  shell  fell  under  the 
Emperor’s  horse,  and  bursting,  killed  the  horse  of  a  general 
who  was  behind  him.  He  himself  was  untouched,  and  turned 
around  and  smiled  ;  though  my  friend  thought  he  saw  tears  in 
his  eyes,  which  he  wiped  away  with  his  glove.  Indeed,  he  had 
cause  enough  for  tears  on  that  fatal  ist  of  September. 

Meantime,  shells  began  to  fall  in  the  direction  of  our  street 
and  hotel.  We  all  stood  under  the  vaulted  stone  entrance,  as 
the  safest  shelter  we  could  find.  I  trembled  on  account  of  the 
caissons  still  standing  in  the  street,  and  filling  all  the  space 


SEDAN,  SEPTEMBER  i- 


237 


from  end  to  end.  It  was  at  this  time  when  we  waited  watch¬ 
ing  painfully  for  the  shell  which  would  have  sent  us  all  together 
into  another  world,  that  General  De  Wimpffen  came  past, 
making 

A  VAIN  EFFORT 

to  rally  and  inspirit  his  flying  troops.  He  shouted,  “  Vive  la 
France!  En  avant  1  ”  But  there  was  no  response.  He 
cried  out  that  Bazaine  was  taking  the  Prussians  in  the  rear. 
News  which  had  been  current  all  the  morning  at  intervals, 
coming  now  from  the  mouth  of  Gen.  De  Wimpffen,  seemed  to 
be  believed,  and  a  few  thousand  men  were  rallied  and  followed 
him  out  of  the  town.  People  began  to  have  hope,  and  for  one 
brief  moment  we  believed  the  day  might  yet  be  saved.  Need 
I  say  that  this  intelligence  was  a  patriotic  falsehood  of  brave 
Gen.  De  Wimpffen  ?  Mad  with  anguish,  and  in  direct  oppo¬ 
sition  to  the  Emperor’s  orders,  he  had  resolved  to  rally  what 
men  he  could,  and  make  a  stand.  He  could  not  have  known 
that  he  was  bound  in  the  grasp  of  at  least  300,000  men. 

A  DESPERATE  SORTIE. 

The  bugle  and  the  trumpet  rang  out  on  all  sides.  A  few 
thousand  men  hearkened  to  the  sound.  My  friend  Rene  De 
Guiroye,  of  the  Chasseurs  D’Afrique,  whom  I  have  just  met, 
after  losing  sight  of  him  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  got  on  horse¬ 
back  again  and  joined  the  General.  The  sortie  took  place 
thus  :  They  went  out  at  the  Porte  de  Balan.  The  houses  of  the 
suburb  were  already  full  of  Prussians,  who  fired  on  the  French 
out  of  every  window.  The  church,  especially,  was  strongly  gar¬ 
risoned,  and  its  heavy  doors  were  closed.  The  General  sent  off 
De  Guiroye  to  bring  two  pieces  of  cannon.  These  soon  ar¬ 
rived,  and  with  them  the  door  of  the  church  was  blown  in,  and 
200  Prussians  were  captured  and  brought  back  with  the 
French,  who,  in  spite  of  all  efforts,  were  themselves  soon 
obliged  to  retire  into  the  town.  It  was  the  last  incident  of  the 
battle  —  the  last  struggle. 

While  this  took  place  at  the  Porte  de  Balan,  the  Prussian 
shelling  went  on,  and  the  shells  began  to  fall  into  the  hotel. 

SHOCKING  SCENES 

followed.  A  boy,  the  son  of  a  tradesman  around  the  corner  of 
the  street,  came  in  crying,  and  asking  for  a  surgeon.  His 
father’s  leg  had  been  shot  off.  A  woman  in  front  of  the  house 
met  the  same  fate.  The  doctor  who  went  to  the  tradesman 
found  him  dead  ;  and  returning,  attempted  to  carry  the  woman 


23S 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


to  an  ambulance.  He  had  scarcely  made  a  step  when  she  was 
shot  dead  in  his  arms.  Those  of  us  who  stood  in  the  gateway 
and  witnessed  such  scenes  must  have  got  beyond  the  feeling  of 
personal  fear.  Any  one  of  us,  I  will  venture  to  say,  would  have 
given  his  life  to  spare  France  on  this  dreadful  day.  Yet  we 
stood  pale  and  shuddering  at  the  sight  of  the  fate  which  befell 
the  poor  people  of  the  town. 

I  care  not  to  dwell  upon  horrors,  which,  nevertheless,  I 
shall  never  be  able  to  forget.  I  can  mention  more  than  one 
brave  officer  who  did  not  fear  to  own  that  he  shrank  from  the 
sight  of  what  had  become  a  mere  massacre.  Those  who  were 
safely  out  of  the  way  as  prisoners,  whether  officers  or  men, 
needed  no  pity.  When,  after  a  time,  it  became  clear  that 
there  was  no  sign  of  Bazaine,  the  hopes  of  the  French  again 
departed.  A  sullen  sort  of  fight  still  went  on.  The  guns  of 
the  town  answered  the  Prussians.  An  aide-de-camp  of  the  Em¬ 
peror  went  by  on  foot,  and  I  heard  him  ask  the  officers  near 
by  to  help  him  in  putting  an  end  to  the  fire.  Such  being  the 
Emperor’s  wish,  at  length 

THE  WHITE  FLAG 

was  hoisted  on  the  citadel.  The  cannonade  ceased  suddenly 
about  half-past  four.  Eager  as  we  were  to  know  the  cause,  we 
cannot  leave  the  house,  for  the  street  is  impassable,  and  we  have 
to  be  content  with  learning  the  mere  fact  of  the  surrender. 
As  night  drew  on,  the  crowd  a  little  diminished,  and  by  some 
effort  it  was  possible  to  make  one’s  way  about  the  town. 
The  spectacle  it  offered  was  more  horrible  than  war.  Dead 
were  lying  everywhere  ;  civilians  and  soldiers  mingled  in  the 
slaughter.  In  one  suburb  I  counted  more  than  fifty  bodies  of 
peasants  and  bourgeois  —  a  few  women  among  them,  and  one 
child.  The  ground  was  strewn  with  splinters  of  shells.  Starv¬ 
ing  soldiers  were 

CUTTING  UP  THE  DEAD  HORSES 
to  eook  and  eat,  for  provision  had  again  failed  us,  as  everything 
has  failed  since  this  campaign  began.  I  was  glad  to  get  away 
from  the  sight  of  our  disasters,  and  lose  their  remembrance  in  a 
few  hours  of  sleep. 

NAPOLEON  A  PRISONER. 

The  next  day  we  were  told  that  the  Emperor  had  gone  to 
the  King’s  headquarters  to  treat  for  a  surrender.  At  eleven 
his  household  and  carriages  left  the  town,  and  we  knew  that  he 
was  a  prisoner  and  the  Empire  no  more.  About  the  same 
hour  there  was  posted  in  the  streets  a  proclamation  from  Gen. 


SEDAN ,  THURSDAY ,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


239 


De  Wimpffen,  saying  that,  notwithstanding  prodigies  of  courage, 
the  army  having  no  more  ammunition,  found  itself  unable  to 
respond  to  the  summons  of  its  chiefs  and  force  its  way  to 
Montmedy;  that  being  surrounded,  he  had  made  the  best 
conditions  he  could  —  conditions  such  as  would  inflict  no  hu¬ 
miliation  on  the  army. 

These  conditions  prove  to  be  the  surrender  of  the  whole  army, 
not  less  than  100,000  men,  as  prisoners  of  war,  with  all  their 
arms,  baggage,  horses,  standards,  and  guns.  The  officers  who 
sign  an  engagement  not  to  serve  against  Prussia  during  the 
war,  may  return  to  their  homes,  the  remainder  to  be  sent  to 
German  towns  in  Germany.  Many  officers  refuse  to  sign, 
preferring  to  share  the  captivity  of  their  men. 

BAD  FAITH  OF  THE  FRENCH. 

On  Saturday  the  whole  force  laid  down  their  arms.  Not  a 
few  soldiers,  in  their  rage,  broke,  rather  than  give  up  their  arms, 
and  the  streets  were  littered  with  fragments  of  all  kinds  of 
weapons  broken  —  swords,  rifles,  pistols,  lancers’  helmets,  cuir¬ 
asses,  even  mitrailleuses  covered  the  ground  ;  and  in  one  place, 
where  the  Meuse  runs  through  the  town,  the  heaps  of  such 
fragments  choked  the  stream,  and  rose  above  the  surface.  .  The 
mud  of  the  streets  was  black  with  gunpowder.  The  horses 
had  been  tied  to  the  houses  and  gun-carriages,  but  nobody  re¬ 
membered  to  feed  or  water  them,  and  in  the  frenzy  of  hunger 
and  thirst  they  broke  loose  and  ran  wild  through  the  town. 
Whoever  liked  might  have  a  horse  —  even  officers’  horses, 
which  were  private  property  —  for  the  trouble  of  catching 
them. 

EMPTYING  THE  MONEY  CHEST. 

When  the  Prussians  came  into  the  town  they  were  very  sore 
and  angry  at  the  sight  of  all  this  destruction  and  waste.  What 
must  have  pleased  them  still  less  was  the  state  in  which  they 
found  the  military  chest.  As  soon  as  the  surrender  was 
resolved  on,  the  French  officers  were  told  to  make  out  the  best 
accounts  they  could,  present  them,  and  receive  payment. 
Naturally,  the  statements  thus  brought  in  soon  proved  sufficient 
to  empty  the  treasury.  I  know  of  officers  who  demanded  and 
received  payment  for  horses  that  were  not  killed  and  baggage 
which  had  not  been  lost.  Demoralization  showed  itself  in 
every  way.  Even  the  standards  were  burned  or  buried,  an  act 
of  bad  faith  not  to  be  palliated  even  by  the  grief  and  rage  of  a 
beaten  army. 


240 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  l FAR. 


GEN.  DE  FAILLY. 

Their  rage  is  greater  against  no  one  than  Gen.  De  Failly. 
He  had  a  room  in  the  hotel  where  I  was  staying.  On  Friday, 
a  great  multitude  of  soldiers  gathered  before  the  house,  the 
doors  of  which  were  closed,  demanding  Gen.  De  Failly  with 
such  shouts  and  menaces,  that  the  landlord  thought  it  prudent 
to  hurry  him  out  of  a  back  window.  The  soldiers,  could  they 
have  reached  him,  would  have  torn  him  to  pieces.  Since  then, 
I  have  heard  the  report  that  he  was  shot  by  one  of  his  own 
men ;  but  no  such  event  had  happened  on  Saturday,  and  could 
not  well  happen  later. 

FRENCH  ANNOYANCES  AND  PRUSSIAN  COURTESY. 

It  was  a  relief  on  Saturday  when  the  Prussians  came  in  and 
occupied  the  town,  and  restored  order.  I  am  sorry  to  have  to 
acknowledge,  that  all  through  the  campaign  the  French  have 
acted  much  more  like  a  conquering  army  in  a  hostile  country 
than  the  Prussians.  All  the  annoyance  I  have  experienced 
personally  came  from  my  own  countrymen  ;  from  the  peasants, 
who,  above  all,  saw  a  spy  in  every  stranger.  When  I  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Prussians,  I  found  them  courtesy  itself.  On 
leaving  Sedan,  and  thence  to  the  frontier,  in  passing  through 
the  Prussian  posts,  I  was  stopped  often.  I  had  but  to  say,  “  I 
am  the  correspondent  of  an  American  journal,”  and  I  was  at 
once  sent  kindly  forward.  On  the  back  of  my  military  pass 
the  Prussian  staff  had  endorsed  a  Prussian  safe-conduct.  Often 
I  was  not  obliged  even  to  show  my  papers :  my  word  was 
taken  ;  and  once  out  of  Sedan  I  was  speedily  through. 

When  I  left  Sedan  on  Sunday  morning  things  were  rapidly 
getting  in  order.  The  streets  were  cleared  of  dead  horses  and 
men.  The  indescribable  filth  of  the  town  was  swept  into  the 
river.  The  shops  were  opening  again.  Discipline  had  taken 
the  place  of  disorder.  I  saw  enough  of  Prussian  organization 
and  energy  to  change,  if  the  grievous  defeat  of  a  noble  army 
had  not  already  changed,  the  opinion  I  have  so  often  expressed, 
that  ultimate  victory  for  France  was  sure. 

WHY  THE  FRENCH  WERE  SO  OFTEN  SURPRISED. 

I  have  followed  MacMahon  from  the  day  when  I  found  him 
reorganizing  his  army  at  Chalons  to  the  fatal  day  at  Sedan, 
when  he  surrendered  the  last  organized  force  in  France,  save 
the  remnant  of  that  which  is  shut  up  in  Metz.  Certainly, 


SEDAN,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


241 


when  I  was  at  the  camp  of  Chalons,  and  then  at  Rheims,  I 
had  observed  that  the  number  of  stragglers  was  enormous,  and 
I  continually  met  soldiers  who  did  not  know  where  their  regi¬ 
ments  were.  I  had  seen  men  and  officers  disabled  by  wounds 
which  French  soldiers  of  other  days  would  have  despised  ;  I 
had  remarked  how  untidy  and  careless  the  men  were  allowed 
to  be  about  their  dress  and  equipments.  These  things,  slight, 
but  significant  to  a  military  eye,  had  caused  me;  no  doubt, 
some  misgivings  as  to  the  rapidity  of  the  success  we  had  a  right 
to  expect.  I  saw  also  how  prone  French  officers  were  to 
avoid  the  fatigues  of  long  marches  and  the  discomfort  of 
bivouacs.  1  remember  how  often  I  have  traversed  the  French 
lines  at  dead  of  night  and  at  early  dawn,  and  never  heard  a 
challenge,  never  came  across  a  French  vidette,  never  have 
fallen  in  with  a  party  of  scouts.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have 
seen  officers  spend  the  time  that  ought  to  have  been  given  to 
their  men,  in  cafes  or  in  poor  village  inns.  Often  even  officers 
of  the  staff  seemed  to  neglect  their  duties  for  paltry  amuse¬ 
ments,  showing  themselves  ignorant  sometimes  even  of  the 
name  of  the  Department  in  which  they  were  ;  so  that  I  have 
known  a  French  General  obliged  to  ask  his  way  from  peasants 
at  the  meeting  of  two  roads.  I  struggled  long  against  all  this 
kind  of  evidence,  but  the  end  is  only  too  clear.  Painful  it  is 
to  me,  but  I  am  bound  to  declare  my  belief  that  any  further 
effort  France  may  make  can  only  cause  useless  bloodshed,  and 
that  a  means  of  escape  from  her  peril  must  now  be  sought  oth¬ 
erwise  than  by  force  of  arms. 

PUSHED  INTO  BELGIUM. 

During  the  battle  ten  thousand  officers  and  soldiers  of  the 
French  army  were  forced  into  Belgian  territory,  where  they 
were  required  to  instantly  surrender  their  arms. 

Last  night  the  frontier  guard  captured,  disarmed,  and  un¬ 
horsed  two  hundred  French  on  Belgian  territory  near  Sedan. 

The  French  troops  who  were  captured  and  disarmed  have 
been  sent  to  the  camp  at  Beverloo. 

FRENCH  LOSSES  (OFFICIAL). 

The  official  figures  of  the  capitulation  at  Sedan  are  39  gen¬ 
erals,  230  staff  officers,  and  2095  line  officers,  beside  500 
officers  of  various  grades  discharged  on  parole.  The  number 
of  privates  surrendered  and  transported  into  Germany  is 
84,433  5  28,000  were  made  prisoners  during  the  battle  ;  5000 
11 


242 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


escaped  into  Belgium ;  20,000  were  killed  and  wounded  — 
total,  137,000. 

Besides  the  prisoners,  400  field-pieces,  including  70  mitrail¬ 
leuses,  150  siege  guns,  10,000  horses,  and  an  immense  amount 
of  war  material,  were  surrendered. 


CLOSING  SCENES  OUTSIDE. 

While  General  De  Wimpffen,  at  2  p.m.,  was  trying  to  rally 
his  flying  troops  in  Sedan  —  shouting  “  Vive  la  France,”  and 
“  En  Avant !  ”  — a  strange  scene  was  being  enacted  at  King 
William’s  headquarters  without.  Just  as  the  brave  De  Wimpffen 
was  leading  the  final  assault, 

A  GENTLEMAN  ASKED  BISMARCK 
“where  he  thought  the  Emperor  was.  In  Sedan?”  “Oh, 
no  !  ”  was  the  reply  ;  “  Napoleon  is  not  very  wise,  but  he  is 
not  so  foolish  as  to  put  himself  in  Sedan  just  now.”  For  once 
in  his  life,  Count  Bismarck  was  wrong. 

At  2.45  the  King  came  to  the  place  where  I  was  standing. 
He  remarked  that  he  thought  the  French  were  about  to  try  to 
break  out  just  beneath  us,  in  front  of  the  Second  Bavarian 
Corps.  At  3.50  General  Sheridan  told  me  that  Napoleon  and 
Louis  were  in  Sedan. 

BRAVERY  OF  THE  BAVARIANS. 

At  3.20  the  Bavarians  below  us  not  only  contrived  to  get 
themselves  inside  the  fortifications  of  Sedan,  but  to  maintain 
themselves  there,  working  their  way  forward  from  house  to 
house.  About  four,  there  was  a  great  fight  for  the  possession 
of  the  ridge  above  Bazeilles.  That  carried,  Sedan  was  swept 
on  all  sides  by  the  Prussian  cannon.  This  point  of  vantage 
was  carried  at  4.40.  When  carried,  there  could  no  longer  be  a 
shade  of  doubt  as  to  the  ultimate  fate  of  Sedan. 

A  FLAG  OF  TRUCE. 

About  five  o’clock  there  was  again  a  sudden  suspension  of 
the  canonnade  along  the  whole  line.  Many  were  the  specula¬ 
tions  as  to  the  cause,  but  nobody  seemed  to  divine  the  truth. 
You  must  judge  of  our  surprise  when,  five  minutes  later,  we 
saw  a  French  officer,  escorted  by  two  uhlans,  coming  at  a  hand¬ 
some  trot  up  the  steep  bridle-path  from  Sedan,  to  our  post,  one 
of  the  uhlans  carrying  a  white  duster  on  a  faggot-stick  as  a  flag 
of  truce.  The  messenger  turned  out  to  be  a  French  colonel, 


SEDAN,  SEPTEMBER  i. 


243 


come  to  ask  for  terms  of  surrender.  After  a  very  short  con¬ 
sultation  between  the  King  and  General  Von  Moltke,  the  mes¬ 
senger  was  told  by  the  General  that,  in  a  matter  so  important 
as  the  surrender  of  at  least  80,000  men,  and  an  important  for¬ 
tress,  it  was  necessary  to  send  an  officer  of  high  rank.  “  You 
are  therefore,”  said  the  General,  “  to  return  to  Sedan,  and  tell  the 
Governor  of  the  town  to  report  himself  immediately  to  the 
King  of  Prussia.  If  he  does  not  arrive  within  an  hour,  our 
guns  will  again  open  fire.  You  may  tell  the  commandant  that 
there  is  no  use  of  his  trying  to  obtain  any  other  terms  than  un¬ 
conditional  surrender.”  The  parlemaitaire  rode  back  with 
this  message.  When  he  was  fairly  out  of  ear-shot,  his  mission 
was  most  eagerly  canvassed. 

At  6.30  there  arose  a  sudden  cry  among  the  members  of 
the  King’s  staff  —  “  Dcr  Kaiser  ist  da  !  ” —  and  then  came  a 
loud  hurrah.  Soon  we  began  to  look  anxiously  for  the  arrival 
of  the  second  flag  of  truce.  In  ten  minutes  more  General 
Reille  rode  up  with  a  letter  for  the  King  of  Prussia. 

THE  EMPEROR’S  SURRENDER. 

As  soon  as  the  French  General  was  in  sight,  the  slender  es¬ 
cort  of  cuirassiers  and  dragoons  we  had  with  us  was  drawn  up 
in  line,  two  deep.  Behind  the  King,  in  front  of  the  escort,  was 
the  Staff,  and  ten  yards  in  front  of  them  again,  stood  His  Maj¬ 
esty,  King  William  of  Prussia,  ready  to  receive  General  Reille. 
That  officer,  as  we  soon  learned,  was  the  bearer  of  an  auto¬ 
graph  letter  from  the  Emperor  Napoleon  to  King  William. 
The  Emperor  of  the  French  wrote  :  “  As  I  cannot  die  at  the 
head  of  my  army,  I  lay  my  sword  at  the  feet  of  your  Majesty.” 

Why  Napoleon  III.  could  not  die,  as  did  thousands  of  his 
soldiers,  sword  in  hand,  with  his  face  to  the  foe,  is  not  so 
clear.  It  seems  a  Bonaparte  has  not  been  born  to  be  killed  in 
battle.  The  death  of  Napoleon  III.  at  Sedan  would  have  been 
practical  justice. 

On  receipt  of  this  most  astounding  letter,  there  was  a  brief 
consultation  between  the  King,  the  Crown  Prince,  who  had 
come  over  from  his  hill  on  the  arrival  of  the  flag  of  truce, 
Count  Bismarck,  General  Von  Moltke,  and  General  Von  Room 
After  a  few  minutes’  conversation,  the  King  sat  down  on  a  rush- 
bottomed  chair,  and  wrote  a  note  (on  another  chair  held  as  a 
table  by  two  aides-de-camp)  to  the  Emperor,  asking  him  to 
come  next  morning  to  the  King  of  Prussia’s  headquarters  at 
Vendresse. 


2-14 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR.' 


SHERIDAN  CONGRATULATES  BISMARCK. 

While  the  King  was  writing  this  note,  Count  Bismarck  came 
up  to  Generals  Sheridan  and  Forsyth,  and  myself,  and  heartily 
shook  our  hands.  “  Let  me  congratulate  you  most  sincerely, 
Count,”  said  General  Sheridan.  “  I  can  only  compare  the 
surrender  of  Napoleon  to  that  of  General  Lee  at  Appomattox 
Court  House.” 

When  it  came  my  turn  to  grasp  the  Chancellor’s  hand,  I 
could  not  help  saying,  after  I  had  warmly  congratulated  him  : 

“  You  cannot  but  feel  a  pride,  Count  Bismarck,  in  having 
contributed  so  largely  to  the  winning  of  to-day’s  victory.” 

“  Oh  !  no,  my  dear  sir,”  was  the  mild  answer ;  u  I  am  no 
strategist,  and  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  winning  of  battles. 
What  I  am  proud  of  is,  that  the  Bavarians,  the  Saxons,  and  the 
Wiirtembergers,  have  not  only  been  on  our  side,  but  have  had 
so  large  a  share  —  the  largest  share  —  in  the  glory  of  the  day  ; 
that  they  are  with  us,  and  not  against  us.  That  is  my  doing. 
I  don’t  think  the  French  will  say  now  that  the  South  Germans 
will  not  fight  for  our  common  Fatherland.” 

I  asked  His  Excellency  whether  Louis  was  taken  with  his 
papa,  and  was  told  that  no  one  knew ;  and  I  think  that  no  one 
much  cared  where  that  little  man  was. 

When  the  King  had  written  his  letter,  he  himself  handed  it 
to  General  Reille,  who  stood  bareheaded  to  receive  it  —  the 
Italian  and  Crimean  medals  glittering  on  his  breast  in  the  fad¬ 
ing  sunlight.  Queen  Victoria’s  image  and  superscription  have 
not  often  been  seen  on  the  uniforms  of  men  surrendering  with¬ 
out  conditions. 

At  7.40,  General  Reille  left  for  the  beleaguered  town,  escort¬ 
ed  by  the  uhlans. 

A  DRINK  TO  UNITED  GERMANY. 

Then  there  was  a  general  demand  for  something  to  drink,  and 
Count  Bismarck’s  aide-de-camp  produced  two  bottles  of  Bel¬ 
gian  beer.  One  of  them  His  Excellency  shared  with  General 
Sheridan,  General  Forsyth,  and  myself,  saying  that  he  drank  to 
the  closer  union  of  the  three  great  Teutonic  peoples. 


Friday,  Septemha ■  2. —  The  entire  army  of  MacMahon, 
90,000  men,  surrender.  Napoleon  III.  a  prisoner  of  war.  400 
field-pieces,  150  siege  guns,  and  70  mitrailleuses  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Prussians. 


SURRENDER  OF  NAPOLEON,  SEPTEMBER  2. 


245 


THE  CAPITULATION 

When  the  Emperor,  who  had  passed  the  weary  hours  of  the 
night,  looked  out  in  the  early  morning,  he  beheld  a  forest  of 
steel  and  iron  on  the  valley  and  hill-tops,  batteries  posted  on 
every  eminence,  cavalry  in  all  the  plains,  and  as  far  as  his  eye 
could  reach,  the  hosts  of  embattled  Germans,  his  decision  was 
taken.  At  last,  attended  by  a  few  of  his  staff  on  horseback, 
His  Majesty  proceeded  along  the  road  from  Sedan  in  a  brough¬ 
am.  Count  Bismarck  was  in  bed  in  his  quarters  at  Donchery, 
when  an  officer  rushed  in,  and  announced  that  the  Emperor 
was  coming  to  meet  him  and  to  see  the  King.  Count  Bis¬ 
marck  rose  and  dressed  hastily,  you  may  be  sure,  in  the  white 
peaked  cap,  with  yellow  band,  dark  uniform  coat,  with  metal 
buttons  and  yellow  facings,  and  hastened  to  meet  the  Emperor. 
He  was  in  time  to  stop  the  cortege  outside  of  the  town. 
As  his  Majesty  alighted,  Count  Bismarck  uncovered  his  head, 
and  stood  with  his  cap  in  hand,  and  on  a  sign  or  request  from 
the  Emperor,  put  it  on.  The  Count  replied  : 

“  Sire,  I  receive  your  Majesty  as  I  would  my  own  royal  mas¬ 
ter.” 

There  happened  to  be  near  the  place  where  the  interview 
occurred,  a  few  hundred  yards  outside  the  squalid  town  of 
Donchery,  the  humble  cottage  of  a  handloom  weaver,  of  whom 
there  are  numbers  around  Sedan.  Count  Bismarck  led  the 
way,  and  entered  it.  The  room  was  not  inviting.  The  great 
Count  walked  up  the  stairs.  The  apartment  was  filled  by  the 
handloom  and  appliances  of  the  weaver  ;  so  he  descended,  and 
found  the  Emperor  sitting  on  a  stone  outside.  Two  chairs  were 
brought  out  of  the  cottage.  The  Emperor  sat  down  in  one ;  Count 
Bismarck  took  the  other,  and  placed  it  on  his  Majesty’s  left 
hand  side.  The  officers  in  attendance  on  their  fallen  master 
lay  down  some  distance  away,  upon  a  small  plot  of  grass  in 
front  of  the  cottage.  The  conversation  was  a  strange  one. 

Count  Von  Bismarck  has  made  that  memorable  conversation 
historic  in  his  report  to  King  William. 

BISMARCK’S  REPORT. 

NO  POWER  TO  TREAT  FOR  PEACE. 

“  I  had  about  an  hour’s  conversation  with  the  Emperor. 

“  His  Majesty  principally  expressed  a  wish  to  obtain  more  favorable 
terms  of  capitulation  for  the  army.  I  completely  declined  to  negotiate  on 
this  matter  with  His  Majesty,  while  the  purely  military  questions  were  to 


246 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


be  settled  between  Generals  Von  Moltke  and  Wimpffen.  On  the  other 
hand  I  asked  his  Majesty  whether  he  was  inclined  to  enter  into  negotiations 
for  peace.  The  Emperor  replied  that,  as  a  prisoner,  he  was  not  now  in  a 
position  to  do  so  ;  and  when  I  further  asked  through  whom  his  views  in 
relation  to  the  Government  of  France  were  now  to  be  Earned,  His  Majes¬ 
ty  referred  to  the  Government  then  established  in  Paris.” 

THE  SURRENDER  PURELY  MILITARY. 

“  After  this  point,  of  which  we  could  not  safely  form  an  opinion  from  the 
letter  of  yesterday  from  the  Emperor  to  your  Majesty,  had  been  cleared  up, 
I  recognized,  and  I  did  not  conceal  the  fact  from  the  Emperor,  that  the 
situation  to-day,  as  yesterday,  presented  no  other  practical  bearing  but  the 
military  one.” 

WANTS  TO  GO  INTO  BELGIUM. 

“  The  Emperor  went  out  into  the  open  air,  and  invited  me  to  sit  beside 
him  before  tl;e  door  of  the  house.  His  Majesty  asked  me  if  it  was  not 
practicable  to  let  the  French  army  cross  the  Belgian  frontier,  that  it  might 
lie  there  disarmed.  I  had  already  discussed  this  contingency  also  with 
Gen.  Von  Moltke  on  the  previous  evening,  and,  for  reasons  already  al¬ 
luded  to,  I  could  not  enter  into  a  promise  of  this  compromise.” 

FRANCE  COMPELLED  HIM  TO  MAKE  WAR. 

“In  reference  to  the  political  situation,  I,  on  my  part,  took  no  initia¬ 
tive,  nor  the  Emperor  either  —  only  in  so  far  as  he  lamented  the  misfor¬ 
tunes  of  the  war,  and  declared  that  he  himself  had  not  wished  for  the  war, 
but  that  he  had  been  compelled  to  make  it  by  the  pressure  of  French 
public  opinion.” 

A  CHANGE  FROM  THE  NEAREST  HOUSE  TO  THE  CHATEAU. 

“  I  mentioned  Frenois  as  the  place  which  I  would  propose  to  your 
Majesty  as  the  place  of  meeting ;  and  I  therefore  suggested  to  the  Em¬ 
peror  whether  he  ought  not  to  go  there  immediately,  as  a  delay  inside  the 
small  laborer’s  house  was  unsuitable  to  him,  and  he,  perhaps,  was  in  want 
of  some  repose.  His  Majesty  readily  agreed  to  the  suggestion,  and  I  con¬ 
ducted  the  Emperor,  preceded  by  a  guard  of  honor  of  your  Majesty’s 
regiment  of  body-guards,  to  the  Chateau  Bellevue,  where  meantime  the 
remainder  of  the  suite  and  the  equipage  of  the  Emperor,  whose  arrival 
there  out  of  the  town  ought  to  be  considered  uncertain,  had  come  from 
Sedan.” 

GENERAL  DE  WIMPFFEN  TALKS  CAPITULATION. 

“  Gen.  Wimpffen  had  also  arrived,  and  with  him,  while  waiting  for  the 
return  of  Gen.  Von  Moltke,  Gen.  Podbielski  resumed  the  conversation  in 
reference  to  the  negotiations  for  capitulation,  which  had  been  broken  off 
on  the  previous  day,  in  presence  of  Lieut.  Von  Verdy  and  the  Chief  of 
Gen.  Wimpffen’ s  staff.” 

THE  KING  can’t  SEE  NAPOLEON. 

“  I  was  just  taking  part  in  the  introduction  of  these  negotiations  by  lay¬ 
ing  before  them  the  political  and  moral  aspect  of  the  situation,  as  affected 
by  what  the  Emperor  said  to  me,  when  I  received  from  Rittmeister, 
Count  of  Noslitz,  on  the  order  of  Gen.  Von  Moltke,  the  information  that 
your  Majesty  would  not  see  the  Emperor  until  after  the  completion  of  the 
capitulation  of  the  army.  This  announcement  extinguished  on  both  sides 
the  hope  that  any  other  conditions  than  those  already  offered  would  be 
agreed  to.” 


SURRENDER  OF  NAPOLEON,  SEPTEMBER  2.  2-17 


CAPITULATION  SIGNED. 

“  I  rode  after  this  to  Chenery  to  see  your  Majesty,  that  I  might  announce 
to  you  the  position  of  affairs.  I  met  on  the  way  Gen.  Von  Moltke,  with 
the  text  of  the  capitulation  as  approved  by  your  Majesty,  which,  after  we 
entered  Frenois,  was,  without  controversy,  accepted  and  signed.” 

A  BRAVE  GENERAL  AND  A  BRAVE  ARMY. 

“The  conduct  of  Gen.  Wimpffen,  like  that  of  the  other  French  gener¬ 
als  on  the  preceding  night,  was  very  dignified,  and  this  brave  officer  could 
not  refrain  from  expressing  to  me  his  pain  at  being  called  upon,  forty-eight 
hours  after  his  arrival  from  Africa,  and  half  a  day  after  his  receiving  the 
command,  to  sign  his  name  to  a  capitulation  so  fatal  to  the  French  army. 
But  the  want  of  provisions  and  ammunition,  and  the  absolute  impossibility 
of  any  further  defence,  had,  he  said,  laid  upon  him,  as  a  General,  the  duty 
of  sinking  his  personal  feelings,  since  further  bloodshed  could  not  make  any 
change  in  the  situation.  Our  agreement  to  let  the  officers  depart  on  parole 
was  received  with  lively  gratitude,  as  an  expression  of  the  intention  of  your 
Majesty  to  spare  the  feelings  of  an  army  which  had  fought  bravely,  as  far 
as  the  demands  of  our  military  and  political  interests  would  allow.  To 
this  feeling  Gen.  Wimpffen  has  given  emphatic  expression  in  a  letter  in 
which  he  has  returned  Gen.  Von  Moltke  his  thanks  for  the  considerate  man¬ 
ner  in  which  the  negotiations  on  his  side  were  conducted. 

“Count  Bismarck.” 

ARTICLES  OF  CAPITULATION. 

At  11.30  the  following  articles  of  capitulation  were  signed, 
as  agreed  upon  by  General  Wimpffen  and  General  Von  Moltke, 
Count  Bismarck  taking  part  in  the  deliberations  : 

Sedan,  September  2. —  By  the  chief  of  the  staff  of  his  Majesty  King  William,  Com- 
mander-in-Chief  of  the  German  armies,  and  the  General  Commanding-in-Chief  of  the 
French  armies,  both  with  full  powers  from  his  Majesty  the  King  and  the  Emperor  of  the 
French,  the  following  agreement  has  been  concluded  : 

Article  i.  The  French  army,  under  the  command  of  General  Wimpffen,  surrounded 
actually  by  superior  forces  around  Sedan,  are  prisoners  of  war. 

Art.  2.  Owing  to  the  valorous  defence  of  that  army,  an  exception  (exemption)  is  made 
for  all  the  generals  and  officers,  and  for  the  superior  employes  having  rank  of  officers  in 
the  military  list,  who  will  give  their  word  of  honor  in  writing  not  to  take  up  arms  against 
Germany,  nor  to  act  in  any  way  against  the  interests  of  that  nation,  till  the  end  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  war.  The  officers  and  employes  accepting  that  condition  will  keep  their  arms  and  the 
effects  belonging  to  them  personally. 

Art.  3.  All  the  other  arms  and  the  army  material,  consisting  of  flags,  eagles,  cannons, 
horses,  war  ammunitions,  military  trains,  will  be  surrendered  at  Sedan  by  a  military 
commission  named  by  the  commander-in-chief,  to  be  given  at  once  to  the  German  com¬ 
missary. 

Art.  4.  The  town  of  Sedan  will  be  given  up  at  once,  in  its  present  state,  and  no  later 
than  the  evening  of  the  2d  of  September,  to  be  put  at  the  disposal  of  the  King  of  Prussia. 

Art.  5.  The  officers  who  will  not  undertake  the  engagement  mentioned  in  Article  2,  and 
the  troops  of  the  armies,  will  be  conducted  with  their  regiments,  in  their  corps,  and  in  mili¬ 
tary  order. 

This  measure  will  commence  on  the  2d  of  September,  and  will  terminate  on  the  3d  ;  the 
soldiers  will  be  brought  up  by  the  Meuse,  near  D’Yzes,  and  put  in  the  hands  of  the  Ger¬ 
man  commissary  by  their  officers,  who  will  then  give  their  commands  to  their  non-com¬ 
missioned  officers.  The  military  surgeons  will  remain,  without  exception,  at  the  rear,  to 
take  care  of  the  wounded. 

(Signed)  Wimpffen. 

Von  Moltke. 

LIST  OF  FRENCH  OFFICERS  SURRENDERED. 

First  Army  Corps  —  Gen.  Ducrot,  Commander  of  Corps;  Brig.-Gen.  Joly  Frigola, 
commanding  artillery  ;  Gen.  Pelle,  commanding  Second  Division  ;  Gen.  L’Heviller,  com- 


243 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIA N  WAR. 


manding  Third  Division;  Gen.  Lartignes,  commanding  Fourth  Division;  Gen.  Michel 
(now  dead),  commanding  cavalry  ;  Brig.-Gen.  De  Montmarie,  First  Brigade  ;  Brig.-Gen. 
Grandil,  Second  Brigade  ;  and  Brig. -Gens.  L6fevre,  Paterettre-Court,  Fraboulet  de  Ker- 
leadec,  De  Belle  Mare,  and  Leforestier  de  Vaudoeuvre,  commanding  cavalry  brigade. 

Fifth  Army  Corps  —  Division-Gen.  Goze;  Gen.  de  l’Abadie  d’Agdrin,  commanding 
Second  Division  ;  Brig.-Gen.  Abbatucci,  commanding  Second  Division  ;  De  Mauzieres, 
Chief  of  Staff  ;  Brig. -Gens.  Saurin  and  Baron  Nicolas-Nicolas. 

Seventh  Corps — Division-Gen.  Felix  Douay,  commanding  Corps;  Gen.  Renson, 
Chief  of  Staff;  Gen.  Louis  Doutrelaine  ;  Brig.-Gen.  De  St.  Hilaire,  commanding  First 
Division  ;  Gen.  Liebcrd,  commanding  Second  Division  ;  Gen.  Brodas,  commanding 
Third  Division  ;  Division-Gen.  Baron  Ameil,  commanding  cavalry,  and  Brig. -Gens.  De 
la  Bastide  and  De  Liegard. 

Twelfth  Corps  —  Gen.  Lebrun,  commanding  Corps;  Brig.-Gen.  Gresley,  Chief  of 
Staff;  Gen.  Grandchamp,  commanding  First  Division;  Gen.  Lacretelle,  Second  Di¬ 
vision  ;  Gen.  De  Vassoigne,  Third  Division  ;  Gen.  D’Ouvrier  de  Villegly,  commanding 
artillery;  Division-Gen.  Bucape  ;  Brig.  -Gens.  Cambriels,  Marquiseau,  Reboul,  Cadart, 
Labaske,  and  Bertrand.  Gen.  Wimpffen,  with  his  Staff,  is  not  included,  because  he  was 
accorded  the  privilege  to  leave  before  the  surrender  was  consummated,  and  Marshal  Mac- 
Mahon  is  not  mentioned,  because  he,  when  the  capitulation  took  place,  lay  wounded  in  a 
village  near  Sedan. 

The  actual  numbers  of  prisoners  from  each  corps  is  as  follows  :  First  Corps,  32,400  ; 
Fifth  Corps,  11,106  ;  Seventh  Corps,  15,618  ;  Twelfth  Corps,  25,309. 

DE  WIMPFFEN  MAD. 

De  Wimpffen,  while  he  was  signing  his  name,  spoke  bitterly 
of  having  hurried  back  from  Africa  only  to  find  such  a  task  as 
this  devolve  upon  him.  It  was  indeed  an  ill-omened  journey 
to  join  a  force  which  he  found  outnumbered  and  defeated,  one 
might  almost  say,  before  the  battle  began,  and  to  assist  in  an 
act  of  surrender  that  would  be  to  his  eternal  regret. 

THE  KING  TO  THE  QUEEN. 

Before  Sedan,  France,  ) 

Friday,  September  2,  1.22  P.M.  j 

To  Queen  Augusta: 

A  capitulation,  whereby  the  whole  army  at  Sedan  are  prisoners  of  war, 
has  just  been  concluded  with  General  Wimpffen,  commanding  instead  of 
Marshal  MacMahon,  who  is  wounded.  The  Emperor  surrendered  himself 
to  me,  as  he  had  no  command.  He  left  everything  to  the  Regent  at  Paris. 
His  residence  I  shall  appoint  after  an  interview  with  him  at  a  rendezvous 
to  be  fixed  immediately. 

What  a  course  events,  with  God’s  guidance,  have  taken  ! 

William. 


THE  KING  AND  THE  EMPEROR. 

About  2  o’clock  the  King,  with  his  body-guard  and  escort  of 
cuirassiers,  attended  by  the  Crown  Prince  and  staff  of  general 
officers,  proceeded  to  a  chateau  outside  Sedan,  and  received 
the  Emperor,  who  came  with  his  personal  followers  and  staff  in 
charge  of  an  escort,  which  was  ranged  on  the  other  side  of  the 
avenue  facing  the  cuirassiers.  Napoleon  remained  perfectly 
calm.  In  the  beginning  of  the  visit  he  received  his  guest  of 
1867  and  his  conqueror  of  to-day  with  grave  politeness.  The 


THE  CAPTIVE  EMPEROR. 


249 


King  and  his  captive  retired  into  the  glass-house  off  one  of  the 
saloons  of  the  drawing-room  floor,  and  they  could  be  seen  by 
the  staff  outside  engaged  in  earnest  dialogue. 

What  they  had  said  to  each  other  may  have  concerned  the 
status  of  the  captive  Emperor.  Certain  it  is  that  Napoleon 
was  much  affected  by  the  courtesy  of  King  William,  and  that 
he  expressed  to  the  Crown  Prince  in  warm  terms  his  sense  of 
the  generous  manner  in  which  he  had  been  treated. 

At  the  interview  with  the  King  the  Emperor  had  a  few  mo¬ 
ments’  conversation  with  the  Crown  Prince,  during  which  he 
was  much  agitated  when  alluding  to  the  manner  of  the  King. 
His  great  anxiety  seemed  to  be  not  to  be  exhibited  to  his  own 
soldiers.  The  result  was,  however,  that  his  Majesty,  wishing  to 
avoid  one  mischief,  was  exposed  to  a  great  humiliation,  for 
his  course  had  to  be  altered  to  avoid  Sedan,  and  thus  he  had  to 
pass  through  the  lines  of  the  Prussian  army. 

THE  KING'TO  THE  QUEEN. 

Varennes,  September  2. — What  a  solemn  moment  when  I  met 
Napoleon  !  He  was  bowed  down,  but  dignified.  I  have  assigned  him 
Wilhelmshohe,  nearCassel  (capital  of  Hesse  Cassel),  as  his  residence.  Our 
meeting  took  place  in  a  little  castle  in  front  of  the  western  glacis  before 
Sedan. 

From  there  I  rode  along  the  front  of  the  army  at  Sedan.  The  recep¬ 
tion  by  the  troops  you  can  hardly  imagine.  It  was  indescribable.  At 
eight  o’clock,  when  it  became  dark,  I  finished  my  ride,  which  had  lasted 
five  hours,  but  I  did  not  return  here  till  one.  May  God  help  further. 

William. 

napoleon’s  future  residence. 

Cassel,  which  is  designed  as  the  future  place  of  residence  of 
Napoleon  III.,  is  a  walled  city  of  Germany,  beautifully  situated 
on  both  banks  of  the  Fulda,  ninety-one  miles  northeast  of 
Erankfort-on-the-Main.  It  has  a  population  numbering  40,000. 
The  residence  which  Napoleon  is  to  occupy  is  the  summer  pal¬ 
ace  of  the  Elector  at  Wilhelmshohe,  a  suburb  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  river.  It  is  surrounded  by  a  magnificent  garden. 

THE  EMPEROR’S  PRISON. 

“  I  have  given  him  Wilhelmshohe,”  says  the  King  of  Prussia, 
in  this  telegraphic  despatch  to  the  Queen,  his  wife,  which 
briefly  but  eloquently  depicts  a  great  scene  in  the  drama  of 
history.  There  is,  indeed,  something  highly  dramatic  in  this 
gift  to  a  broken  man.  “  Where  and  what  manner  of  place  is 
11* 


250 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


Wilhelmshohe  ?  ”  many  readers  will  ask.  It  is  the  Versailles 
of  Germany.  It  is  a  chateau  and  pleasure  park  on  the  east  slope 
of  the  Habichtswald  Mountains;  and  it  has  for  the  captive 
Emperor  associations  of  peculiar  interest,  forasmuch  as  it  was 
once  the  favorite  residence  of  his  uncle  Jerome,  sometime 
King  of  Westphalia.  This  palatial  retreat  and  its  surround¬ 
ings  are  in  the  luxurious  taste  of  the  last  century.  There  are 
hot-houses  on  an  amazing  plan  ;  there  are  temples  of  Apollo 
and  Mercury ;  there  are  waterfalls,  pheasantries,  lakes,  and  a 
Chinese  village.  There  is  a  great  fountain,  perhaps  the  great¬ 
est  in  the  world,  for  its  column  of  water,  rising  to  a  height  of 
190  feet,  is  12  feet  in  thickness.  And  lastly,  at  the  farthest 
and  highest  point  of  the  grounds,  nearly  1400  feet  above  the 
Fulda,  there  is  a  strange,  if  not  preposterous,  building  of  oc¬ 
tagonal  shape,  with  a  series  of  cascades  descending  from  its 
foot,  through  five  basins,  to  a  “grotto  of  Neptune.”  The 
building  at  the  top  of  the  cascade  is  named  the  Riesenschloss, 
from  a  colossal  statue,  which  is  an  immensely  enlarged  copy 
of  the  Farnese  Hercules,  the  club  having  a  cavity  in  which 
nine  people  can  sit.  Such  is  Wilhelmshohe,  whose  precincts 
are  reached  from  Cassel  by  a  straight  avenue  of  lime-trees. 


Saturday,  September  3.  —  Proclamation  of  the  French  Min¬ 
istry  announcing  the  disaster  to  their  arms,  and  declaring  that 
France  will  resist  to  the  last.  General  Ducrot,  who  refused,  to 
sign  his  parole,  escapes  from  Sedan. 

Patriotic  enthusiasm  in  Berlin.  Wild  delight  in  Fondon. 
The  d'echeance  of*  Napoleon  III.  cried  in  the  streets  of  Paris. 
Wild  excitement  at  the  French  capital.  The  Emperor  goes 
to  Wilhelmshohe  an  exile.  “  I  shall  return  to  Paris  to  exact  a 
reckoning,  not  to  give  one." 


SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  3. 


251 


HOW  THE  WORLD  RECEIVES  THE  NEWS. 

BERLIN  REJOICES. 

Berlin,  Saturday ,  September  3. 

The  receipt  of  the  news  that  the  Emperor  and  MacMahon 
had  capitulated,  has  occasioned  the  most  prodigious  enthusiasm 
here.  Thousands  of  people  throng  the  streets,  moving  in 
ranks  with  arms  linked,  singing  patriotic  songs,  shouting,  and 
exhibiting  every  other  sign  of  enthusiasm. 

A  surging  crowd  assembled  before  the  palace,  when,  in  re¬ 
sponse  to  the  cheering,  the  Queen  appeared  and  made  a  short 
address.  All  the  schools  were  closed,  and  the  children  given  a 
holiday.  The  monument  to  Frederick  II.  was  literally  buried 
in  flags.  Demonstrations  were  made  before  the  residences  of 
Count  Von  Bismarck,  Baron  de  Moltke,  and  Minister  of  War 
Von  Roon.  The  shops  and  stores  were  mostly  closed,  and  the 
day  given  up  to  festivities  and  rejoicings. 

PARIS  IN  MOURNING. 

Paris,  September  3  ( Morning ). —  A  nation  mourns.  There 
is  a  grief  too  deep  for  utterance  !  A  proud  nation  stricken 
down  !  A  wail  of  despair  goes  up  from  the  women,  while 
brave  men  clench  their  teeth,  and  stand  motionless  and  fixed. 
The  Emperor  captured  ?  It  is  not  credited.  A  bas !  Ru¬ 
mors  fly  in  the  air.  There  is  a  fearful  uncertainty  in  every  face 
—  a  terrible  foreboding  that  France  is  in  danger. 

Noon.  —  Rumors  fly  thick  and  fast,  but  no  official  news. 
The  streets  are  crowded,  and  the  people  move  like  a  funeral 
procession.  “  What  is  it ;  have  you  heard  ?  ”  Only  an  omin¬ 
ous  look. 

Evening.  —  There  is  dreadful  news,  but  as  yet  it  is  locked 
up  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  A  great  caravan  of  bursting  hearts 
is  swaying  back  and  forth  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde.  A 
stormy  scene  is  taking  place  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  There  is 
no  disorder,  no  violence  without.  There  begins  to  be  impa¬ 
tience.  The  crowd  blocks  up  the  doorway  of  the  Corps  Lepis- 
latif.  They  cry,  “Tell  us  of  MacMahon  !” 

News  at  last !  A  proclamation  from  the  Ministry.  A  mil¬ 
lion  eyes  devour  the  few  words  of  misfortune,  and  a  murmur  of 
relief,  mingled  with  patriotic  exclamations,  goes  through  the 
crowded  streets. 


252 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


THE  GOVERNMENT  TO  THE  FRENCH  PEOPLE  ! 

A  great  misfortune  has  come  upon  the  country.  After  three  days  of 
heroic  struggles,  sustained  by  the  army  of  Marshal  MacMahon,  against 
300,000  of  the  enemy,  40,000  men  have  been  made  prisoners.  General  de 
Wimpffen,  who  took  command  of  the  army  in  place  of  Marshal  MacMahon, 
badly  wounded,  has  signed  a  capitulation.  This  cruel  reverse  will  not 
shake  our  courage.  Paris  is  to-day  in  a  complete  state  of  defence.  The 
military  forces  of  the  country  will  be  organized  in  a  few  days.  A  new 
army  will  be  under  the  walls  of  Paris.  Another  army  is  forming  on  the 
banks  of  the  Loire.  Your  patriotism,  your  union,  your  energy  will  save 
France.  The  Emperor  has  been  made  a  prisoner  in  the  struggle.  The 
Government,  in  accord  with  the  public  powers,  will  take  all  measures  re¬ 
quired  by  the  gravity  of  events. 

Count  de  Palikao, 

H.  Chevreau, 

Rigault  de  Genouilly, 

Jules  Brame, 

De  i.a  Tour  d’ Auvergne, 
Grandeperret, 

Clement  Duvernois, 

P.  Magne, 

Busson  Billault, 

Jerome  David, 

of  the  Council  of  Ministers. 

Paris,  Midnight.  — What  a  change  !  There  is  no  longer 
despair,  but  a  grim  determination  seizes  every  heart. 

As  the  proclamation  of  the  Ministers,  announcing  the  capit¬ 
ulation  of  MacMahon’ s  army  and  the  capture  of  the  Emperor, 
becomes  known,  the  excitement  among  the  people  is  indescrib¬ 
able. 

Tumultuous  crowds  assemble  before  the  Corps  Legislatif,  and 
shout,  “  The  people  will  save  France.  The  Emperor  has  fall¬ 
en  ;  the  people  will  rise,  and  chase  out  the  invaders.”  “  A  bas 
Jj’Empereur,”  for  the  first  time  in  eighteen  years,  sounds  out 
in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde.  Some  one  demands  the  dech'ca.7ice 
(the  dethronement)  of  the  Emperor.  A  hundred  voices  catch 
the  cry,  and  “  declieance ,  Decheance  !  ”  is  shouted  in  the 
street.  All  night  long  on  the  Boulevard  Bonn-Nouvelle  the 
surging  masses  shout  “  Vive  France  !  ”  “  La  decheatice  /”  and 
death  to  the  Empire  which  has  betrayed  them.  The  death 
warrant  of  the  Empire  is  signed  to-night  in  ten  thousand  Paris 
hearts. 

IN  THE  CORPS  LEGISLATIF, 

when  the  Count  de  Palikao  announced  that  the  army  at  Se¬ 
dan.  with  the  Emperor,  had  surrendered  to  the  Prussians,  Jules 
Eavre  declared  :  “  We  are  unanimous  for  defence  until  death. 


PARIS,  LONDON ,  NEW  YORK,  SEPTEMBER  3. 


253 


(Great  applause.)  It  is  time  that  compliances  should  cease,  if 
we  wish  to  repair  our  disasters.”  He  concluded  by  attacking  the 
Imperial  power,  and  proposing  to  place  extraordinary  powers 
in  the  hands  of  Gen.  Trochu. 

There  was  a  breathless  silence  as  that  venerable  patriot, 
Jules  Favre,  a  second  Patrick  Henry,  announced  the  death  of 
the  Empire  and  the  birth  of  a  young  Republic !  With  a  dread¬ 
ful  solemnity  the  father  of  the  Republic  advanced  with  these 
resolutions  in  his  venerable  hand :  “  We  move  that  the  Cham¬ 
ber  adopt  the  following  resolutions  : 

“  That  Louis  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  his  dynasty  be  declared  to  have 
forfeited  the  powers  which  the  nation  conferred  upon  them. 

“  That  there  shall  be  chosen  an  executive  committee,  composed  of  mem¬ 
bers,  the  number  of  whom  shall  be  fixed  by  the  Chamber,  which  shall  be 
invested  with  all  the  powers  necessary  to  repel  invasion  and  drive  the  enemy 
from  the  soil. 

“That  General  Trochu,  Governor  of  Paris,  be  charged  exclusively  with 
the  defence  of  the  capital.” 

The  reading  of  these  resolutions  was  listened  to  with  pro¬ 
found  silence.  A  single  voice  was  raised.  It  was  that  of  M. 
Picard.  “  We  have  not  the  power,”  said  he,  “  to  pronounce 
the  decheance." 

Like  thunder  they  fell  upon  the  astonished  Chamber.  There 
was  a  moment  —  a  painful  moment  of  hesitation,  and  then  a 
murmur  of  approbation.  Count  Palikao  only  spoke  for  the 
dead  Empire. 

LONDON  WILD  WITH  DELIGHT. 

London  is  wild  with  delight  over  Prussia’s  triumph.  The 
streets  were  for  two  hours  tilled  with  excited  multitudes.  Eng¬ 
lishmen  congratulate  each  other  as  if  it  were  an  English  vic¬ 
tory.  Their  sympathies  with  Prussia  were  never  before  so 
strongly  manifested.  The  intelligence  of  the  surrender  was 
first  published  here  by  The  Daily  News ,  in  an  extra,  at  about 
half-past  ten  o’clock  this  morning.  Other  papers  soon  follow¬ 
ed.  Placards  are  everywhere  in  the  streets.  Thousands  of 
despatches  were  sent  in  every  direction. 

THE  NEWS  IN  AMERICA. 

Telegrams  from  Washington,  Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  Rich¬ 
mond,  and  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  Union,  state  that  the 
news  of  the  surrender  of  Napoleon  and  the  capture  of  Mac- 
Mahon’s  army  caused  intense  excitement  among  the  Germans, 


254 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


and  the  event  was  celebrated  by  firing  salutes,  ringing  of  bells, 
processions,  and  other  manifestations  of  joy. 

IN  NEW  YORK, 

the  startling  intelligence  of  Napoleon’s  surrender  and  the 
capitulation  of  MacMahon’s  army  fell  upon  the  people  like  a 
clap  of  thunder  out  of  a  clear  sky.  Despite  the  swift  and 
crushing  succession  of  Prussian  victories,  from  Weisenburg  to 
Beaumont,  the  public  mind  had  not  grasped  the  possibility  that 
Napoleon’s  Empire  could  so  suddenly  crumble  to  the  dust  like 
a  fragile  house  of  cards,  leaving  him  with  only  the  poor  refuge 
of  death,  a  hapless  prisoner,  sans  throne,  sans  sword,  sans 
friend,  sans  everything.  Even  the  sturdy  Teuton  patriots  who 
clustered  around  the  bulletins,  or  eagerly  grasped  the  extras, 
scarcely  dared  put  faith  at  first  in  the  glorious  tidings ;  while 
Americans,  though  more  than  willing  to  believe  in  such  an 
overwhelming  Prussian  triumph,  found  it  hard  to  fully  credit  the 
astounding  intelligence. 

Printing-House  Square  was  filled  with  excited  crowds.  The 
Germans  left  their  workshops  to  hear  of  victory  to  the  Father- 
land.  Gold  fell  on  Wall  street  2 ^  per  cent.  The  bulls  gazed 
despairingly,  while  the  bears  danced  with  delight.  “  The  Patrol 
on  the  Rhine  ”  was  sung  in  the  Gold  Room,  and  a  hundred 
wild  brokers  danced  a  weird  can-can  around  the  fountain  in  the 
centre  of  the  Stock  Exchange. 

THE  PRESS. 

The  Tribune  forms  show  victory  in  such  headlines  as  these  : 

„2>er  gni|c  Sicg ! 

3tu^fii|rUc|er  SSeridjt  iiber  bie  Itcbenjabe  SlaloIcmfS  uttb  ber 
Jinnee  SDMabon’S." 

The  Herald  rejoices  at  the  speedy  termination  of  the  war, 
and 

The  World  alone  has  a  word  of  sympathy  for  Napoleon. 

LONDON  PRESS. 

The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  says  : 

“The  news  will  be  regarded  as  final.  If  the  Emperor  hopes,  by  a  hastily  patched-up 
peace,  to  find  means  to  transfer  the  throne  to  his  son,  it  is  the  last  and  greatest  delusion 
of  a  life  of  delusions.  He  may  find  it  easier  to  begin  than  to  end  war.  Peace  is  by  no 
means  yet  certain.  There  is  no  Government  to  make  peace.  Imperialism  is  dead.  The 


SATURDAY,  SEPTEMBER  3. 


255 


substitute  is  Orleans  or  a  Republic.  It  can  hardly  begin  by  a  surrender.  France  has  for 
the  first  time  to  act.  Her  eyes  are  for  the  first  time  opened.” 

The  London  Evening  Standard  says : 

“  Sedan  is  the  Emperor’s  Waterloo.  The  Second  Empire  is  now  overthrown.”  It  dep¬ 
recates  exultation,  and  expresses  heartfelt  sympathy  with  the  fallen  sovereign. 

The  Echo  says : 

“The  Emperor’s  last  act  does  what  is  possible  to  redeem  his  fault.  The  author  of  the 
war  surrenders  himself  to  the  conqueror,  admitting  his  own  defeat,  that  he  may  help  avert 
that  of  France.” 

FRENCH  PRESS. 

Le  Messager  Franco- Americain  says,  with  a  dreadful  irony  : 

“The  Empire  !  Let  us  hope  that  the  present  is  the  last  time  we  shall  have  to  speak  of 
the  detested  thing.  The  empire  has  fallen.  The  empire  has  capitulated,  but  France  is 
erect.  France  never  capitulates.  Let  the  defenders  of  Bonapartism  and  his  government 
now  behold  their  work  and  their  triumphs.  Let  the  poor  dupes  of  the  plebiscitic  govern¬ 
ment  and  of  imperial  glory  contemplate  the  abyss  of  shame  in  which  they  have  plunged  the 
empire  for  three  times  in  sixty  years.  If  Bonaparte  had  the  least  wish  to  die,  he  had  the 
opportunity  to  do  so  while  wearing  his  Caesarean  toga.  If  the  first  Bonaparte  had  been 
killed  at  Waterloo,  his  crimes  would  have  been  pardoned  ;  and  if  the  second  had  follcAved 
the  example  of  the  brave  General  Douay,  and  been  killed  by  a  Prussian  ball,  France 
would  have  accepted  the  expiation.  But,  instead  of  this,  he  has  surrendered  his  sword  to 
the  King  of  Prussia,  and  yielded  to  the  enemy'he  had  provoked,  and  capitulated  the  army 
which  accompanied  him.  Let  not  King  William  and  Bismarck,  with  too  much  audacity, 
gloat  over  their  mastery  of  freedom.  These  men  belong  to  the  same  band  that  Bonaparte 
belongs  to.  They  are  enemies  of  each  other,  only  as  pirates  and  brigands  are  enemies  of 
each  other.” 

The  Courier  des  Etats  Unis  sends  up  a  wail  of  despair  : 

“The  deed  is  done.  France  is  broken-hearted.  One  month  has  sufficed  to  paralyze 
her,  if  not  to  annihilate  the  living  forces  of  the  most  grand  and  powerful  people  upon  the 
earth,  and  at  the  same  time  to  displace  the  political  axis  of  the  earth.  It  is  useless  to  dis¬ 
simulate.  The  army  which  has  surrendered  was  the  very  flower  of  the  military  people. 
MacMahon  destroyed  !  Bazaine  powerless  !  For  the  rest,  France  is  but  a  huge  mass, 
fanatical  and  patriotic  —  ready  enough  to  strike  its  head  against  the  mouths  of  the  Prussian 
cannon.  There  is  no  more  for  us  an  army.  The  masses,  now  so  full  of  faith,  can  do 
nothing  against  military  science,  against  discipline,  against  new  armies.  France  has  been 
made  to  bleed,  but  she  is  not  humiliated.  Still  she  bears  a  proud  front,  and  she  can  look 
fiercely  in  the  faces  of  her  enemies  and  of  the  world.  All  her  wounds  have  been  received 
in  the  front,  and  our  soldiers  are  hailed  as  giants  by  the  very  troops  before  whose  superior 
numbers  they  have  succumbed.” 

THE  GERMAN  PRESS. 

The  New  Yorker  Journal  says  : 

“Ours  is  the  Rhine.  For  ever  and  ever  will  this  German  stream  flow*  quietly  and  unin¬ 
terruptedly  between  its  splendid  shores.  The  Latin  world  has  gone  down,  and  the  Ger¬ 
manic  ascends  after  a  brief  pause.  The  spectre  of  Caesar  sinks  in  its  open  grave.  The 
peace-making  German  Emperor  can  say,  “  The  German  Empire  is  peace,”  and  this  now 
will  be  the  truth.  Henceforth  the  people  of  the  earth  will  be  required  no  longer  to  spend 
their  means  in  heavy  war  budgets,  but  can  devote  themselves  to  the  mission  of  cultivating 
the  laws  of  spiritual  and  material  welfare.  But  the  highest  triumph  is  the  German  unity. 
During  the  first  excitement  over  the  wanton  attack  the  German  States  gave  each  other  the 
hand,  and  in  a  glorious  war  the  new  alliance  was  re-sealed.  Forever  and  ever  the  dis¬ 
memberment  and  disagreement  of  past  centuries  is  gone,  and  German  Union  is  no  longer 
an  imaginary  phantom — a  pious  wish  of  honest  patriots  —  but  a  glorious  and  powerful 
reality.” 

From  the  Staats  Zeitung  : 

“At  divers  times  the  vox  Jofiuli  of  Germany  has  uttered  its  warning  to  France,  that 
should  Germany  ever  be  forced  to  war  against  the  French,  she  would  never  sheath  her 
sword  until  she  had  reconquered  her  old  provinces  of  Lorraine  and  Alsace.  The  French 
ridiculed  this  menace,  and  said  that  they  would  yet  not  only  take  the  whole  of  the  Rhen¬ 
ish  provinces,  but  also  divide  Germany.  But  while  the  French  were  dreaming  of  the  line 


25G 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


of  the  Main,  German  Union  has  become  a  fact ;  and  thanks  to  France,  this  German  Union 
is  now  enabled  to  revenge  the  wrongs  of  past  centuries  on  France,  but  to  obtain  that  posi¬ 
tion  to  which,  by  its  brilliant  spirit  and  power,  it  is  entitled.” 

From  the  Demokrat : 

“  The  question,  whether,  after  the  events  of  the  2d  of  September,  peace  will  soon  ensue, 
can  as  yet  not  be  answered.  France’s  best  army  is  used  up  and  disarmed,  and  the  others 
will  soon,  if  they  have  not  yet  surrendered.  But  we  are  as  yet  without  an  answer  to  the 
question.  What  will  Paris  say?  Will  she  attempt  resistance,  or  submit  quiedy  ?  Will 
she  appeal  to  the  once  powerful  word,  Republic  ?  ” 

THE  CAPTIVE  EMPEROR. 

Donchery,  Septejnber  3.  —  The  Emperor,  a  prisoner  of 
war,  passed  through  the  streets  to-day.  It  was  raining  in  tor¬ 
rents.  The  cortege  was  preceded  by  a  troop  of  black  hussars 
in  full  uniform,  and  uncloaked.  Then  came  the  brougham 
with  the  Emperor.  He  was  in  the  kepi  undress  uniform  of  a 
lieutenant-general,  with  the  star  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  on  his 
breast.  His  face  looked  exceedingly  worn,  with  dark  lines 
under  his  eyes,  which  were  observant  of  what  was  passing 
around,  for  he  saluted  the  Englishmen  who  ran  out  to  see  him, 
and  raised  his  hat.  By  his  side  sat  a  French  officer,  Achille 
Murat.  The  imperial  postilions  wore  the  imperial  cockade, 
and  looked  as  smart  as  if  they  were  in  the  Bois,  or  en  route  for 
St.  Cloud.  As  the  brougham  stopped  a  moment,  the  people 
caught  sight  of  the  captive  Emperor’s  face.  He  had  his  hand 
to  his  moustache,  which  had  the  well-known  points  and  waxed 
ends.  But  there  was  no  nervous  twitching,  and  the  emotion 
which  shook  him  for  a  moment  when  he  was  speaking  to  the 
Crown  Prince  yesterday  of  the  King’s  manner,  had  passed 
away.  Then  he  brushed  the  tears  from  his  eyes  with  the  gloves 
he  had  in  one  hand,  and  was  overcome  for  several  seconds. 

No  one  cried  “  God  bless  him  !  ”  no  “  Vive  L’Empereur  !  ” 
as  was  wont  to  greet  his  ears  as  he  rode  in  state  to  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne.  It  was  like  the  journey  of  the  first  Napoleon  to 
Toulon,  without  the  enthusiasm.  The  only  sound  was  the 
tramp  of  horses  and  the  inopportune  jingling  of  bells,  of  char- 
a-bancs  and  horses ;  but  now  and  then  a  chorus  was  sung  by 
the  Wurtembergers  trudging  through  the  mud,  celebrating  the 
victory.  Now  the  mimic  “  Chant  du  depart"  comes  from  a 
neighboring  hill,  as  full  of  dreadful  irony  as  fell  the  strains  of 
“John  Brown’s  body”  on  the  ears  of  General  Lee  at  Appo¬ 
mattox  : 

“Tremblez  cnncmis  de  la  France, 

Rois  ivres  de  sang  et  d’orgueil ; 

Le  peuple  souverain  s’avance  ; 

Tyrans,  descendez  au  cercueil.” 


THE  CAPTIVE  EMPEROR,  SEPTEMBER  3. 


257 

Bouillon,  September  3,  P.M. — The  Imperial  train  is  pass¬ 
ing.  The  cortege  is  of  great  length.  First  comes  the  Emper¬ 
or’s  own  carriage,  a  travelling  berlin  ;  then  an  open  carriage ; 
after  these  two  or  three  carriages  something  like  prison  vans, 
all  marked  “  Maison  Militaire  de  l’Empereur,”  and  containing 
members  of  the  staff.  Numbers  of  horses  follow,  some  mounted 
by  Imperial  servants  in  liveries.  The  horses  are  magnificent 
animals,  over  sixteen  hands  high.  The  postilions  wear  glazed 
hats,  gay  coats,  and  scarlet  waistcoats.  There  are  relays  of 
horses  for  carriages,  and  hacks,  saddle-horses,  and  chargers  be¬ 
yond  price. 

At  noon  the  Emperor  alighted  in  Bouillon,  and  walked  to 
the  hotel.  The  crowd  of  people  was  enormous,  but  was  kept 
off  by  the  Belgian  troops.  French  officers  of  high  grade,  among 
them  Prince  Murat,  strolled  about.  The  Emperor  appeared 
at  a  window,  and  the  crowd  hurrahed.  The  French  prisoners 
were  silent  —  they  made  no  response.  It  was  impossible  to 
find  quarters  and  food  at  the  hotel.  The  Emperor  dined  first, 
then  his  suite,  and  the  rest  ate  what  they  could  get.  About  two 
o’clock,  the  Emperor,  accompanied  by  General  Castelnau, 
came  to  the  door  of  the  railway  station.  He  seemed  well,  his 
face  showing  no  emotion.  Though  he  leaned  heavily  on  the 
arm  of  the  servant  who  led  him  out,  he  walked  well.  De¬ 
spatches  were  handed  him,  and  he  sat  down  out  doors  on  the 
platform,  and  wrote  replies.  He  afterward  paced  up  and  down 
the  platform,  smoking  cigarettes.  He  returned  to  the  waiting- 
room,  and  read  the  Independance  Beige  until  the  special  train 
arrived,  when  he  departed. 

A  friend  condoling  with  the  Emperor  expressed  the  hope  that 
his  popularity  in  Paris  was  not  gone.  The  Emperor  replied  : 

“  It  matter  not.  I  shall  return  there  to  exact  a  reck¬ 
oning,  NOT  TO  GIVE  ONE.” 

EUGENIE’S  FAREWELL  WORDS. 

The  unhappy  Empress,  pale  and  quivering,  receives  the  sad 
news  of  Sedan.  Beautiful  becomes  her  bereavement  when  in 
spirit  she  goes  back  again  to  that  widowed  mother  in  Madrid, 
whom  she  had  left  seventeen  years  before,  to  become  the  Em¬ 
press  of  France.  Before  the  last  sad  drop  of  the  Imperial  curtain 
comes  a  beautiful  benediction  — the  daughter  to  the  mother  ! 

Ma  chere  Mere  :  Paris,  Sept.  4,  1870. 

General  Wimpffen,  who  had  taken  command  after  MacMahon  had  been  wounded,  has 
capitulated,  and  the  Emperor  has  been  made  prisoner.  Alone  and  without  command,  he 
has  submitted  to  that  which  he  could  not  avert.  All  day  he  was  under  fire.  Courage, 
dear  mother;  if  France  will,  she  can  defend  herself.  I  will  do  my  duty. 

Your  unhappy  daughter, 

Madame  la  Comtesse  de  Montijo,  Madrid.  Eugenie. 


VIVE  LA  REPUBLIQUE! 


THE  SYMPATHY  OF  THE  WORLD  CHANGES  IN  FAVOR  OF 
THE  REPUBLIC. 

Sunday,  September  4.  —  The  French  Republic  declared  in 
the  Hotel  de  Ville.  The  dechea?ice  of  Napoleon  III.  pro¬ 
claimed.  Gambetta  declares  the  new  Provisional  Government. 
Rochefort  released  from  prison.  Ovation  to  Victor  Hugo. 
The  Tuileries  invaded  by  the  mob.  Intense  excitement  in 
Paris.  American  sympathy  for  the  Republic.  The  Prussians 
continue  their  march  on  Paris.  The  Empress  Eugenie  in 
Brussels.  The  Emperor  passes  through  Belgium  a  prisoner. 


THE  REVOLUTION  (REMARK). 

To-day  the  world  is  revolutionized.  The  Empire  —  the  lie 
which  drenches  France  in  blood,  and  sends  a  cry  of  death  and 
despair  over  the  hills  and  valleys  of  central  Europe  —  is  dead  / 
The  ugly  form  of  Ciesarism  goes  out  in  darkness.  The  young 
Republic  is  born,  and  proclaimed  where,  a  month  ago,  stood 
the  proudest  throne  in  Europe.  The  Republic  is  strength  — 
it  is  peace  !  The  voice  of  the  young  Republic,  crying  from  the 
tumultuous  streets  of  Paris,  rouses  universal  sympathy.  The 
world  is  changed.  Yesterday  it  was  the  struggle  of  despotism 
with  despotism  :  to-day  it  is  despotism,  Herod-like,  at  the 
throat  of  an  infant  Republic. 

How  America,  who  loved  Hungary  and  Greece,  and  who 
weeps,  Government  tied,  for  Cuba,  stretches  forth  her  hands  to¬ 
day  toward  this  young  Republic  !  Yesterday  she  sympathized 


THE  REPUBLIC ,  SEPTEMBER  4. 


259 


with  Prussia  —  an  insulted  despotism  :  to-day  she  embraces  the 
mother  of  Lafayette.  Ties  of  gratitude  bind  America  to  France. 
France  was  her  ally  ;  hatred  for  Napoleon  made  America  for¬ 
get  France. 

Our  country  nursed  her  young  Republic  in  1848.  We  saw 
it  strangled  in  the  coils  of  Caesarism  in  1852.  The  surrender 
of  Napoleon  III.  frees  the  Republic,  and  the  cry  of  the  old 
liberty  of ’48  comes  over  the  Atlantic  again. 

The  American  people  would  be  false  to  their  noblest  instincts,  they  would 
belie  all  their  generous  utterances  in  the  past,  and  prove  recreant  to  the 
honored  principles  of  their  fathers,  if  their  hearts  did  not  go  out  in  fervent, 
forward  sympathy  with  a  great,  heroic  nation,  their  ancient  ally,  who,  in 
this  season  of  sudden  humiliation  and  sore  calamity,  courageously  holds  aloft 
the  banner  of  free  institutions,  and  places  itself  in  the  van  of  a  great  repub¬ 
lican  movement  in  Europe.  Providence  has  vouchsafed  to  France  a  great 
opportunity,  such  as  seldom  occurs  in  the  history  of  nations;  and  she  has 
had  the  wisdom  to  recognize  and  improve  it.  Out  of  the  nettle,  danger, 
she  magnanimously  attempts  to  pluck  the  flower,  freedom.  Every  true 
American  heart,  every  heart  whose  pulsations  were  ever  quickened  by  the 
spectacle  of  heroic  efforts  of  patriotism  blended  with  aspirations  for  liberty, 
will  wish  well  to  France  in  this  hour  of  trial,  of  hope,  of  transition,  and 
possibly  of  renewed  conflict  with  the  invader,  who,  after  having  bestowed 
upon  her  this  great  opportunity,  may  interpose  to  crush  the  expanding  blos¬ 
som  in  the  bud. 

The  whole  aspect  of  this  wonderful,  this  terribly  destructive  war  has  sud¬ 
denly  changed,  as  if  by  the  stroke  of  an  enchanter’s  wand.  Hitherto,  it  has 
been  a  war  against  the  French  empire  ;  if  it  is  continued,  it  will  be  a  war 
against  the  French  people. 

• 

HOW  THE  REPUBLIC  WAS  DECLARED. 

EXCITING  SCENES  IN  PARIS. 

Paris,  Sunday  morning ,  Sept.  4. 

The  Empire  is  dead,  and  the  Republic  has  risen  from  the 
ruins.  The  commotion  commenced  on  Saturday.  The  news 
of  the  Emperor’s  surrender  and  the  capitulation  of  MacMahon’s 
army  were  made  known  to  the  Empress  at  seven  o’clock  in  the 
evening.  She  immediately  retired  into  her  apartment,  and  re¬ 
fused  to  received  even  intimate  friends.  Toward  nine  the  broad 
facts  were  known  to  a  few  persons  only,  but  a  general  uneasi¬ 
ness  prevailed,  and  angry  groups  assembled.  At  eleven  o’clock 
on  Sunday,  while  the  Mobiles,  on  their  way  to  camp  at  Saint 
Maur,  accompanied  by  a  small  crowd,  were  proceeding  up  the 
Boulevards  toward  the  Bastille,  they  sung  the  Marseillaise,  and 


2G0 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


some  shouted  “  La  Decheance.”  This  cry  had  been  already 
heard  in  other  localities. 

THE  NEWS  OUT. 

The  news  was  not  generally  known  till  after  nine  on  Sunday 
morning,  when  the  Ministerial  statement  appeared  on  the  walls 
and  in  the  morning  papers.  Soon  immense  excitement  was  ap¬ 
parent  everywhere.  By  noon,  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  was 
crowded,  and  the  passage  of  the  bridge  interrupted  to  the  public 
by  the  police  sergeants,  gendarmerie  on  horseback,  and  the 
troops  on  the  bridge,  and  around  the  Chamber.  Popular  Deputies 
were  recognized,  and  met  with  acclamations  and  cries  of  “  La 
Decheance  !  ”  and  “Vive  la  Republique  !  ”  As  the  day  wore  on, 
the  crowds  augmented.  On  the  passage  of  companies  of  Na¬ 
tional  Guards,  the  people  shouted  “  Vive  National  Guard  !  ” 
“  Vive  la  Republique  !  ”  and  the  Guards  reciprocated. 

THE  CROWD  OVERPOWERS  ALL  RESISTANCE. 

At  two  p.m.  the  gates  of  the  Tuileries  garden  were  closed, 
and  had  remained  so  since  morning,  watched  by  the  Zouaves 
and  other  detachments  of  the  Imperial  Guard.  The  people  on 
the  outside  were  trying  to  shake  the  gates  on  the  side  of  the 
Place  de  la  Concorde.  At  half-past  twro,  a  rush  was  made  by  a 
part  of  the  crowd,  headed  by  some  of  the  National  Guard.  The 
police  sergeants  and  gendarmes  made  an  armed  demonstration 
of  resistance,  but  suddenly  yielded,  and  the  crowd  rushed  by, 
shouting,  “  La  Decheance  ”  and  “  Vive  la  Republique.1*’  People 
fraternized  with  the  gendarmes  and  troops,  and  these  with  the 
National  Guard. 

THE  MOB  INVADES  THE  CORPS  LEGISLATIF. 

At  an  earlier  hour  in  the  Corps  Legislatif,  the  Deputies  were 
returning  to  appoint  a  committee  to  consider  the  three  proposals 
submitted  by  Palikao,  Thiers,  and  Favre.  A  company  of  Na¬ 
tional  Guards  having  charge  of  the  gates  shouted  “  La  Deche¬ 
ance,”  and  as  the  Deputies  passed,  some  few  Nationals 
mounted  the  steps  of  the  Palace  of  the  Corps  Legislatif,  and 
signalled  their  comrades  from  the  Pont  de  la  Concorde.  Pre¬ 
sently  the  latter  rushed  forward,  followed  by  the  crowd,  all 
classes  intermixed,  and  shouting  “  Vive  la  Republique  !  ”  Once 
inside  the  palace  gates,  the  people  spread  themselves  all  over 
the  building,  except  the  hall  where  the  sessions  of  the  Deputies 
are  held.  The  next  hall  was  occupied  by  troops,  who  frater¬ 
nized  with  the  people. 


REPUBLIC ,  PARIS ,  SEPTEMBER  4. 


2G1 


THE  PEOPLE  CRY  “  DOWN  WITH  THE  IMPERIALISTS  !  ” 

The  Right,  the  friends  of  the  Empire,  are  not  allowed  to 
speak.  The  crowd  hisses  them  down.  Cretnieux,  of  the  Left, 
an  influential  young  Republican,  addresses  the  people.  They 
listen,  but  demand  the  withdrawal  of  the  troops.  Palikao,  Im¬ 
perial  Secretary  of  War,  appears,  and  promises  that  the  troops 
shall  be  removed. 

Schneider,  led  by  two  officers,  crosses  the  court-yard,  pale, 
haggard,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes.  He  disappears  into  the 
hall  where  the  sessions  are  held.  Attempts  are  made  to  force 
its  doors.  Gen.  Motterouge  orders  the  National  Guards  to  de¬ 
fend  the  entry.  There  are  loud  cries  of  “Decheance”  and 
“Vive  la  Republique.” 

THE  CONSTERNATION  OF  SCHNEIDER. 

In  one  of  the  galleries  somebody  begins  a  speech.  A  few 
Deputies  of  the  Right  enter,  but  suddenly,  as  if  panic-stricken, 
they  retreat  precipitately. 

Schneider,  the  strong  friend  of  the  Right  and  the  Empire,  now 
appears.  He  attempts  to  speak  against  the  decheance.  The 
crowd  cry,  “  Down,  down  I  ”  Schneider  loses  his  nerve,  and 
seizing  his  hat,  flies  in  fear  from  the  Chamber  and  his  Presiden¬ 
tial  chair.  Gambetta,  the  strong  Republican,  speaks.  The  peo¬ 
ple  listen,  for  it  is  a  voice  from  the  Left.  He  says,  “  Await  the 
arrival  of  the  Representatives,  and  they  will  bring  in  the  question 
of  decheance."  (Enthusiastic  applause.)  “The  majority  must 
proclaim  the  dechea?icel' 

THE  LEFT  TO  THE  HOTEL  DE  VILLE. 

It  is  now  three  o’clock.  Suddenly  a  crowd  of  people  rush  into 
the  hall.  The  Deputies  try  to  keep  them  back,  but  the  hall  is 
entirely  invaded.  The  President  puts  on  his  hat  and  leaves  the 
hall,  declaring  the  session  closed.  As  he  quits  his  seat,  National 
Guards  and  people  come  crowding  in.  There  are  general  cries 
of  “Vive  la  Republique.”  The  Deputies  of  the  Left  mix  with 
the  people,  and  all  cry,  “To  the  Hotel  de  Ville  !  ”  Gambetta 
and  other  Republican  leaders  leave  the  Chambers,  and  go  in  pro¬ 
cession  down  the  Pont  de  la  Concorde,  followed  by  the 
crowd. 

Meanwhile,  outside  the  Chambers,  men  climb  up  to  the  statue 
of  Law  over  the  portal,  and  destroy  the  eagle  which  adorns 
the  baton  in  the  hands  of  the  image.  Then  it  is  itself  destroyed 
—  the  head  first,  then  the  arms.  Gambetta  and  the  procession 
pass  down  the  Quai  des  Tuileries.  Soldiers  applaud,  and  shout 


282 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


with  the  crowd.  A  lieutenant-colonel  cries  “  Vive  la  Repub- 
lique  !”  the  procession  stops,  and  fraternizes.  The  Turcos  and 
the  Spahis  at  the  barracks  of  the  Quai  d’Orsay  wave  their 
turbans.  The  flag  over  the  pavilion  of  the  Tuileries  is  hauled 
down.  In  front  of  the  Prefecture  there  are  cries  of  “  Down  with 
Pietri.”  The  Prefecture  is  closely  shut. 

THE  REPUBLIC  IS  DECLARED. 

Arrived  in  front  of  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  the  crowd  forces  its 
way  in.  Jules  Favre  and  Jules  Ferry  go  to  the  further  end  of 
the  great  hall.  Two  Gardes  Mobile,  with  drawn  swords,  clam¬ 
ber  up  the  ornamental  chimney,  and  seat  themselves  in  the  lap 
of  a  marble  nymph.  Gambetta,  Cremieux,  and  Keratry  press 
in,  and  take  a  place  beside  Favre,  followed  by  Picard,  Etienne 
Arago,  Glais-Bazoin,  Schoelcher,  and  others.  Gambetta,  Crem¬ 
ieux,  and  Keratry  are  by  themselves  at  the  Mayor’s  table. 

Amid  the  tumult,  Gambetta  declares  the  Republic  a  fact,  and 
that  E.  Arago  is  appointed  Mayor  of  Paris.  The  people  shout 
approval.  The  Bureau  is  constituted.  Keratry  is  appointed 
Prefect  of  Police.  The  Bureau  retires  to  constitute  a  Provi¬ 
sional  Government  and  Ministry.  At  four  o’clock  the  Bureau 
returns,  and  Gambetta  declares  the  Provisional  Government 
constituted  under  the  title  of  Government  for  the  National  De¬ 
fence,  consisting  of  Arago,  Cremieux,  Favre,  Simon,  Gambetta, 
Ferry,  Glais-Bizoin,  Garnier-Pages,  Pelletan,  and  Picard. 

ROCHEFORT. 

The  people  shout  Rochefort’s  name,  It  is  added  amid  accla¬ 
mation.  The  members  of  Government  again  retire.  There  is 
a  discussion  whether  the  tricolor  or  the  red  flag  is  to  be 
adopted.  Schoelcher  says  “  tricolor,”  and  it  is  adopted. 

Suddenly  a  carriage  arrives.  A  number  of  men  are  drawing 
it.  Crowds  follow  and  accompany  it.  There  are  four  persons 
in  the  carriage.  One  is  very  pale.  It  is  Rochefort.  He  has 
just  been  liberated  from  Sainte-Pelagie  prison.  There  are 
enthusiastic  shouts  on  his  being  recognized.  He  is  borne  into 
the  Hotel  de  Ville  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  people,  who  now 
—  men,  women,  and  children  —  make  their  way  into  it.  The 
leaders  of  the  new  republic  have  already  retired,  but  the  people 
visit  all  the  apartments.  The  revolution  is  over.  An  empire 
has  fallen,  and  a  republic  has  been  reared  in  its  stead,  without 
riot,  without  bloodshed.  It  has  been  done  in  an  hour. 

THE  DEMONSTRATIONS  AT  THE  TUILERIES. 

It  becomes  known  that  the  Emperor  is  deposed  by  the  Cham- 


PARIS,  SUNDAY ,  SEPTEMBER  4. 


203 


ber,  and  that  the  Republic  is  declared.  The  people  rush  upon 
the  police  sergeants,  and  disarm  them.  One  National  Guard 
has  his  head  gashed  with  a  sword,  and  is  led  away.  The  police 
sergeants  get  off  the  best  way  they  can.  The  people  assail  the 
gates  of  the  Tuileries.  The  guards,  after  a  menace,  consent  to 
a  parley.  The  men  clamber  up  and  wrench  off  the  eagles  from 
the  gates.  The  gates  are  presently  opened,  and  the  people 
flock  in,  going  toward  the  palace.  The  flag  is  still  flying  from 
the  top  of  the  Central  Pavilion.  The  crowd  approaches 
the  private  garden.  There  is  a  detachment  of  troops  there. 
The  officer  is  summoned  to  open  the  gates.  He  refuses,  but 
says  he  can  let  his  men  be  replaced  by  the  National  Guard. 
This  is  done,  and  the  officer  saves  his  honor.  The  people  walk 
in,  and  immediately  invade  the  interior  of  the  palace.  The  flag 
is  torn,  and  handed  down.  The  Empress  has  left.  The  Mobiles 
and  people  amuse  themselves  looking  at  the  albums  and  the 
Prince  Imperial’s  playthings.  They  notice  that  the  draperies 
of  the  windows  are  partly  removed.  The  people  write  with 
chalk,  “  Death  to  thieves.”  They  respect  property.  Then  the 
Guards,  National  and  Mobile,  line  the  road  which  leads  from 
the  Tuileries  to  the  Carrousel.  The  people  defile  through,  shout¬ 
ing,  “This  is  our  property,”  and  has  volatile”  (down  with 
the  poultry).  The  mob  write  upon  the  walls,  but  disturb  noth¬ 
ing.  One  chalks  down  this  “stanza”  : 

“  Les  deux  Napoleons  les  gloires  sont  6gales, 

Quoiqu’  ayant  pris  les  chemins  inegaux  ; 

L’un  de  1’ Europe  a  pris  les  capitales, 

L’ autre  au  pays  a  prix  les  capitaux.” 

DESERTED. 

On  the  ground  floor  there  is  great  disorder.  The  Empress 
has  just  left.  Somebody  says  “  The  poor  Empress.  !  how  her 
friends  have  deserted  her  /”  The  Imperial  apartments  are  filled 
with  empty  trunks,  work-boxes,  and  the  Empress’s  bed  is  un¬ 
made.  The  Emperor’s  room  is  full  of  the  Prince’s  things.  On 
the  sofa  is  a  child’s  sword,  half  unsheathed.  On  the  floor, 
buried  in  old  newspapers,  is  a  revolver  case.  Here  are  cigar 
boxes,  and  vials  of  phosphate  of  iron. 

IN  THE  PRINCE’S  STUDY. 

Lead  soldiers  are  strewn  over  the  carpet.  An  historical  ex¬ 
ercise  book  lies  open  on  the  table.  The  last  exercise  written 
by  the  Prince  begins  thus  : 

“Louis  XV.  Bourbon,  Fleury  (1723-1741).  Regency  resumed.  Bourbon.  1723-1726. 
Bourbon.  —  Madame  dc  Prie,  Pzris-Duverttois  \Duvernay  was  intended] .  At  home,  cor- 


264 


THE  FRANCO- PR USSIAN  WAR. 


ruption,  stock-jobbing,  frivolity,  intolerance.  Abroad,  marriage  of  the  King  with  Mario 
Laczynska.  Rupture  with  Spain,  which  country  displays  Austrian  tendencies,”  etc.,  etc. 

A  BREAKFAST  INTERRUPTED. 

In  one  room  a  breakfast  is  prepared.  It  is  simple  —  only  a 
boiled  egg,  a  little  cheese,  and  some  bread.  In  the  Emperor’s 
apartment,  several  maps  of  Prussia  ;  busts  and  statuettes  of 
the  Imperial  Prince ;  a  great  number  of  little  painted  figures, 
representing  Prussian  soldiers  and  officers  in  uniform ;  also, 
volumes  with  annotations.  A  repast  is  ordered  in  the  kitchen 
for  the  regulars.  For  the  first  time  in  eighteen  years,  the  peo¬ 
ple  go  through  every  room  in  the  Imperial  Palace.  They  own 
it  under  the  Republic  —  and  guard  it  as  their  own. 

THE  END  OF  THE  DAY. 

Even  now  (midnight)  crowds  of  people  are  still  on  the  Boule¬ 
vards,  and  there  is  still  great  commotion  and  excitement,  but 
no  rioting.  People  look  as  though  relieved  of  an  immense  load. 
A  large  “  tree  of  liberty”  is  planted  near  the  Bastile,  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  flags  and  flowers. 

THE  ROCHEFORT  EPISODE 

was  as  follows :  A  hundred  of  Rochefort’s  constituents  met, 
by  appointment,  at  three  p.  m.,  at  the  Great  Market  Hall.  At 
a  given  signal,  the  leader  raised  a  cane  with  a  flag  attached  to 
it,  and  a  shout,  “To  Sainte-Pelagie  !  ”  ascended.  The  group 
was  joined  by  other  men,  who  up  to  that  time  had  been  lurking 
in  the  immediate  vicinity,  making  in  all  about  300  when  they 
reached  the  prison.  There  were  three  marines  acting  as  sen¬ 
tries  outside.  One  of  them  made  believe  to  lower  his  bayonet. 
It  was  raised  by  his  comrade.  The  third  followed  his  example. 
The  crowd  took  the  guns  and  broke  them,  but  fraternized  with 
the  marines.  There  was  no  opposition  from  the  wardens. 
Rochefort’s  cell  doors  were  burst  in,  and  he  was  taken  out. 

There  was  no  coach  at  the  door.  A  lady  passing  in  one 
got  out  of  it,  and  made  Rochefort  get  in.  He  was  driven  to  the 
Hotel  de  Ville,  arriving  there  at  five,  and  was  carried  in  triumph 
to  the  throne  room,  where,  amid  the  shouts  and  congratulations 
of  friends,  he  learns  that  he  is  a  member  of  the  new  Republi¬ 
can  Government. 

OVATION  TO  VICTOR  HUGO. 

There  was  a  great  ovation  to  Victor  Hugo,  and  a  torchlight 
ovation  to  Thiers,  whom  some  portion  of  the  people  desire  to 
see  appointed  Minister  of  Finance. 


PARIS,  SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  4. 


265 


A  number  of  the  Democratic  leaders  of  Paris,  including  Victor 
Hugo’s  sons,  M.  Rochefort  M.  Glais-Bizoin,  the  venerable 
Michelet,  M.  Laboulaye,  and  others,  had  assembled  to  meet  the 
exiled  poet  and  patriot. 

A  hasty  arch  had  been  thrown  up  over  the  doorway  of  the 
station,  and  wreathed  with  the  flags  of  France,  Italy,  the  United 
States,  Switzerland,  and  Spain.  Much  attention  was  excited  by 
the  appearance  among  these  standards  of  the  flag  of  the  Ger¬ 
man  Republic  of  1848. 

M.  HUGO’S  SPEECH. 

Citizens  —  I  have  come  back  from  an  exile  of  twenty  years  simultane¬ 
ously  with  the  Republic.  The  Republic  comes  to  defend  in  Paris  the  capital 
of  civilization.  Paris  must  not  be  sullied  by  invasion  ;  for  to  invade  Paris  is 
to  invade  liberty  —  it  is  to  invade  civilization.  No  such  invasion  shall 
triumph.  Paris  will  be  saved  by  the  union  of  all  souls,  all  hearts,  all  arms 
in  her  defence.  The  defeat  of  Paris  means  new  hatreds,  new  resentments, 
new  barriers  between  people  and  people.  Paris  must  be  victorious  in  the 
name  of  fraternity,  for  only  by  making  the  fraternity  of  all  possible  can  the 
liberty  of  all  be  gained. 

THE  AMERICAN  FLAG. 

Pointing  to  the  American  flag,  Victor  Hugo  said,  “That  banner  of 
stars  speaks  to-day  to  Paris  and  to  F ranee,  proclaiming  the  miracles  of  power 
which  are  easy  to  a  great  people  contending  for  a  great  principle  —  the  lib¬ 
erty  of  every  race,  the  fraternity  of  all.” 

The  speech  was  immensely  cheered,  and  the  speaker  fairly 
carried  by  the  people  to  his  carriage.  He  looks  well,  though 
aged  —  his  long  locks  gone,  his  dark  beard  white,  his  eyes  full 
of  fire,  his  voice  as  firm  as  ever. 

The  Minister  of  the  Interior  proclaims  the  following  at  eight 

P.M.  : 

PROCLAMATION  OF  DECHEANCE. 

Republique  Francaise,  Ministere  de  l’Interieur. 

The  deckeance  has  been  pronounced  in  the  Corps  Legislatif.  The  Repub¬ 
lic  has  been  proclaimed  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  A  government  of  national 
defence,  composed  of  eleven  members,  and  all  the  Deputies  of  Paris,  has 
been  constituted  and  ratified  by  popular  acclamation.  Their  names  are : 

Emmanuel  Arago,  Cremieux,  Jules  Favre,  Jules  Ferry,  Gambetta,  Gar- 
nier-Pages,  Glais-Bizoin,  Pellatan,  Ernest  Picard,  Rochefort,  Jules  Simon. 

Gen.  Trochu  will  at  the  same  time  continue  in  the  exercise  of  the  powers 
of  Governor  of  Paris,  and  is  appointed  Minister  of  War  in  place  of  Gen. 
Palikao. 

Please  placard  immediately,  and,  if  necessary,  have  proclaimed  by  the 
public  crier  this  declaration. 

For  the  Government  of  National  Defence.  Leon  Gambetta, 

The  Minister  of  the  Interior. 

Paris,  the  4th  day  of  September,  1870,  at  six  o’clock  p.  m. 

12 


2G6 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


TO  PREFECTS  OF  DEPARTMENTS. 

Paris,  Sept.  4,  1870. 

Gen.  Trochu,  Governor  of  Paris,  has  been  appointed  member  of  the  Gov¬ 
ernment  of  National  Defence,  installed  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville.  He  takes 
the  portfolio  of  War,  and  his  colleagues  have  conferred  upon  him  the  Presi¬ 
dency.  Leon  Gambetta. 

The  offices  of  the  Provisional  Government  are  distributed  as  follows : 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs  —  Jules  Favre. 

Minister  of  Justice —  Isaac  Cremieux. 

Minister  of  the  Interior  —  Leon  Gambetta. 

Minister  of  Finance  —  Ernest  Picard. 

Superintendent  of  Public  Works- — Pierre  Dorian. 

Minister  of  Commerce — Joseph  Magnin. 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction — -Jules  Simon. 

Minister  of  Marine — Martin  Fourichon. 

Minister  of  War  —  Louis  Jules  Trochu  ;  also,  President  of  the  Com¬ 
mittee. 

Seals  have  been  placed  on  the  doors  of  the  Corps  Legislatif. 

NEW  YORK  SALUTES  THE  REPUBLIC. 

American  flags  were  displayed  on  the  City  Hall  in  honor 
of  the  proclamation  of  the  French  republic.  In  1830  there 
was  the  grandest  procession  ever  witnessed  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  in  honor  of  the  downfall  of  Charles  the  Tenth,  and 
the  establishing  of  a  republic  in  France.  In  1848  there  was  a 
remarkable  display  of  bunting  in  honor  of  the  formation  of  an¬ 
other  republic  in  France.  These  demonstrations  were  wit¬ 
nessed  by  the  present  generation ;  but  like  the  illusion  of  a 
dream,  or  the  mirage  upon  the  desert  or  the  ocean,  republi¬ 
canism,  as  a  power,  was  swept  away  from  the  soil  of  France  be¬ 
fore  the  French  people  really  had  the  opportunity  to  compre¬ 
hend  the  situation.  Republicanism  is  the  root  of  the  political 
policy  of  the  French  people,  but,  unfortunately,  imperialism  has 
been  the  blossom  and  the  fruit. 

FLIGHT  OF  THE  EMPRESS. 

The  deposition  of  the  Napoleon  dynasty  was  voted  in  the 
Corps  Legislatif  about  one  o’clock  on  Sunday  afternoon.  At 
two  o’clock,  M.  Pietri  —  then  Prefect  of  Police —  rushed  breath¬ 
lessly  into  the  Empress’s  apartments  at  the  Tuileries  with  the 
startling  announcement  and  warning  :  “  The  decheance  has  been 
declared.  I  have  not  a  moment  to  lose.  Save  your  life,  Ma¬ 
dame,  as  I  am  now  hastening  to  save  my  own  !  ”  Then  he  dis¬ 
appeared  —  and  with  good  reason  too,  for  the  Revolutionary 
Government  would  give  something  to  be  able  to  lay  hands 
upon  him  now.  The  Empress  found  herself  alone  with  her  old 


FLIGHT  OF  THE  EMPRESS. 


267 


and  trusty  secretary  and  friend,  Madame  le  Breton,  and  with 
M.  Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  who  both  earnestly  urged  her  to  fly 
at  once.  '  But  her  high  spirit  made  this  a  most  unpalatable 
counsel.  It  was  a  cowardice  —  une  lacliete  —  to  desert  the 
palace.  She  would  rather  be  treated  as  was  Marie  Antoinette 
by  the  mob,  than  seek  safety  in  an  unworthy  flight.  For  a  time, 
all  persuasion  was  useless ;  but  at  length  Her  Majesty’s  mood 
calmed,  and  she  saw  the  utter  uselessness  of  remaining. 

Attended  only  by  the  two  companions  we  have  named,  the 
Empress  fled  through  the  long  gallery  of  the  Louvre  ;  but  sud¬ 
denly  her  course  was  stopped  short  by  a  locked  door.  The  lit¬ 
tle  party  could  distinctly  hear  the  shouts  of  the  crowds  who 
were  invading  the  private  gardens  of  the  Tuileries.  M.  de  Les¬ 
seps,  to  gain  time,  proposed  that  he  should  go  out  on  the  ter¬ 
race  and  get  the  soldiers  on  guard  to  hold  back  the  people  for 
a  few  minutes,  while  in  addition  he  would  delay  the  crowds  by 
addressing  them.  The  resort  to  this  expedient  was  not  neces¬ 
sary.  Madame  le  Breton  found  ihe  key,  opened  the  door  that 
had  obstructed  their  progress,  and  gave  egress  to  Her  Majesty, 
who,  accompanied  only  by  her  tried  friend,  issued  into  the 
street  at  the  bottom  of  the  Louvre.  There  they  hurriedly  en¬ 
tered  a  common  fiacre ,  not  without  a  risk  of  detection  on  the 
spot,  for  a  diminutive  gamin  de  Paris ,  not  more  than  twelve 
years  old,  shouted,  “  Vo  i let  1'  I mperatr  ice  !  ”  Luckily,  no  one 
about  heard  or  heeded  him  ;  and  the  cab  got  safely  away  with 
the  two  ladies. 

They  drove  to  M.  de  Lessep’s  house  in  the  Boulevard  de 
Malesherbes,  where  the  Empress  sat  until  she  was  joined  by  M. 
de  Metternich,  who  did  what  he  could  to  facilitate  her  depart¬ 
ure  to  a  place  of  safety.  Later  in  the  evening,  the  Empress, 
still  accompanied  by  Madame  le  Breton,  drove  to  the  Gare  du 
Nord,  escaped  all  detection  —  thanks  to  the  thick  veil  which 
she  wore  —  and  at  seven  o’clock  rolled  safe  and  unsuspected 
away  toward  the  Belgian  frontier. 

THE  FLIGHT  TO  ENGLAND. 

Morning  found  the  flying  Empress  at  Trouville,  on  the  chan¬ 
nel,  opposite  England. 

Sir  John  Burgoyne’s  yacht  was  lying  off  Trouville,  when  a 
Frenchman  came  on  board,  asking  to  be  allowed  to  look  over 
an  English  yacht.  Sir  John,  half  suspecting  him  to  be  a  French 
spy,  allowed  him  to  look  about.  Soon  after  this  visitor  was 
gone,  two  French  gentlemen  came  on  board  with  the  same  re¬ 
quest,  and  after  asking  many  questions  as  to  the  sailing  powers 


2G8 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


of  the  Gazelle ,  begged  to  be  allowed  to  speak  to  Sir  John 
alone. 

“  What !  M.  de  Lesseps  ?  ”  exclaimed  Sir  John,  the  young 
Crimean  hero,  when  he  recognized  his  old  friend. 

“Yes,  yes,  my  dear  Sir  John,  but  don’t  waste  any  time  —  will 
you  do  me  the  greatest  service  I  ever  demanded  of  any  human 
being  ?” 

“  Name  it,”  said  the  gallant  soldier. 

“  Will  you  find  me  three  places  on  your  yacht  for  the  pas¬ 
sage  to  England  on  Wednesday  ?  ” 

“  Is  that  all?”  said  Sir  John,  laughing;  “the  places  will  be 
ready  for  you.” 

There  was  again  a  momentary  pause,  during  which  M.  de 
Lesseps  fixedly  regarded  the  young  man. 

“Do  you  know?”  he  asked  rapidly,  as  if  ashamed  of  the 
doubt  which  had  prompted  his  scrutiny  —  “  do  you  know  whom 
you  will  carry  with  you  as  my  compag?io7i  de  voyage  ?" 

Sir  John  smiled,  and  shook  his  head. 

“  Her  Imperial  Majesty,  the  Empress  of  the  French,”  said  M. 
de  Lesseps  quietly. 

The  two  men  rose,  and  clasped  hands.  No  word  was  spoken, 
but  they  understood  one  another.  M.  de  Lesseps  was  affected 
to  tears,  and  Sir  John  was  scarcely  less  moved. 

On  Tuesday  evening,  Sept.  6,  the  Empress  came  on  board 
privately,  and  the  yacht  weighed  anchor  at  once,  and  set  sail 
for  Ryde.  The  Empress  was  wholly  unprovided  with  luggage, 
not  having  even  a  comb  and  brush,  or  a  change  of  linen  with 
her.  The  crossing  was  very  rough,  the  sea  washing  over  the 
deck,  and  the  Empress  was  wayworn  and  exhausted  when  she 
arrived  at  Ryde. 

EUGENIE  MEETS  LOUIS. 

Early  on  Thurday  morning,  the  little  vessel  cut  into  Ryde, 
and  the  Empress,  taking  a  most  affectionate  leave  of  her  gen¬ 
erous  host,  made  her  way  to  the  York  Hotel,  where  she  partook 
of  breakfast.  She  then  crossed  by  the  ordinary  steamer  to 
Portsmouth,  where  she  immediately  took  train  for  Hastings,  ar¬ 
riving  there  at  about  nine  on  Thursday  night,  September  8th. 

Leaving  the  Empress  at  the  depot ,  M.  de  Lesseps  went  to 
the  Hotel  where  the  Prince  Imperial  had  been  directed  to  put 
up.  The  Prince  was  there,  and  M.  de  Lesseps  was  just  leeving 
the  house  to  tell  the  Empress,  when  a  veiled  figure  rnshed  past 
him  on  the  stairs. 

It  was  the  Empress,  and  before  her  astonished  guide  could 


LIVES  OF  THE  NEW  MINISTRY. 


269 


restrain  her  either  by  voice  or  gesture,  mother  and  son  were 
locked  in  a  close  and  almost  convulsive  embrace. 

“  Mon  pauvre  Louis !  Mon  pauvre  Louis,  maintenant  je 
n’ai  que  toi.” 

“  And  papa,”  said  the  child  ;  and  before  he  could  continue,  the 
doors  of  the  drawing-room  were  closed  upon  mother  and  son. 

Words  cannot  convey  the  solemn  tenderness  of  that  meeting 
between  the  ex-Empress  and  the  child  so  lately  the  hope  of 
France ! 

Both  mother  and  child  looked  fearfully  worn  and  ill,  the  child 
especially  bearing  evident  traces  of  the  effects  of  nervous  ex¬ 
citement.  His  eyes,  naturally  large,  appeared  unusually  so, 
and  they  attracted  the  particular  attention  of  the  Empress,  who 
was  observed  to  push  back  the  hair  from  the  boy’s  forehead,  and 
after  looking  at  him  long  and  earnestly,  to  close  each  eyelid  with 
a  kiss. 

The  scene  proved  too  trying  for  the  Empress.  On  Friday 
she  kept  her  room,  and  sent  for  the  same  physician  who  had 
ministered  to  Louis  Philippe  on  a  similar  occasion.  On  Sun¬ 
day  the  Empress  appeared  for  the  first  time  in  public,  at  church. 
As  soon  as  her  presence  in  England  was  known,  the  Queen 
wrote  an  autograph  letter  to  her,  and  the  Prince  of  Wales  pro¬ 
posed  to  pay  her  a  visit.  The  Empress  begged  to  be  left  in¬ 
cognito. 

SKETCHES  OF  MEMBERS  OF  THE  PROVISIONAL 
GOVERNMENT. 

The  following  are  brief  biographical  sketches  of  the  princi¬ 
pal  members  of  the  provisional  government  of  France : 

LEON  GAMBETTA,  MINISTER  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

M.  Gambetta  was  born  at  Cahors  in  1838.  He  made  little  noise  at 
college,  but  was  a  hard  worker,  although  he  toiled  after  his  own  fashion  and 
when  he  pleased,  agreeing  but  indifferently  with  his  tutors,  and  regarded  by 
them  as  rather  eccentric  than  intelligent.  He  was  self-possessed  and  vehe¬ 
ment  in  tone,  fond  of  solitude,  fairly  worshipping  his  own  personal  indepen¬ 
dence,  but  too  precocious  and  too  eminently  gifted,  perhaps,  to  be  under¬ 
stood  by  his  classmates.  He  came  to  Paris,  went  through  his  law  studies 
there,  and  entered  the  bar  as  the  secretary  of  M.  Cremieux,  who  gave  him 
his  confidence,  his  friendship,  called  him  his  “son”  upon  all  occasions,  and 
predicted  for  him  a  brilliant  future. 

Gambetta  soon  became  known  among  knots  of  friends  at  lectures  and  at  the  bar.  His 
rapid  advancement  has  surprised  none  who  were  acquainted  with  him,  for  his  triumphs  were 
expected,  and  were  looked  upon  by  all  as  inevitable.  Occasions  for  them  were  sure  to 
arise,  and  the  greatest  of  these  was  the  Baudin  affair,  when  the  Republicans  of  Paris  gath¬ 
ered  at  the  tomb  of  that  orator  and  martyr  of  their  cause.  It  was  this  striking  incident 
which  prepared  the  way  for  Gambelta’s  entrance  to  the  Chamber,  where  his  high  tone,  yet 


270 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SIAM  WAR. 


determined  Liberalism,  and  his  tact  and  eloquence  combined  as  a  debater,  soon  placed  him 
among  its  leading  minds. 

Let  us  glance  at  the  physique  of  the  man.  His  complexion  is  pallid,  contrasting  strongly 
with  very  thick  black  hair  and  beard.  He  has  a  masculine  and  intellectual  head,  solidly 
embedded  in  a  stalwart  pair  of  shoiilders.  His  bust  is  superb,  and  his  frame  thick-set  and 
muscular.  His  walk  is  brisk,  yet  firm,  and  his  speech  rapid  and  energetic.  His  voice, 
which  never  seems  to  tire,  is  sometimes  full  of  cadence,  sometimes  stunning  in  its  intona¬ 
tions,  and  somewhat  low,  but  always  powerful.  His  countenance  is  a  very  attractive  and 
sympathetic  combination  of  Italian  delicacy  —  for  he  is  of  Genoese  origin  —  and  of  Gascon 
vigor,  full  of  commingled  thoughtfulness  and  audacity,  frankness  and  haughtiness.  His 
nose  is  straight  and  regular,  with  strongly  marked  nostrils,  broadly  dilated.  His  mouth  is 
neatly  cleft,  with  fair  expansion,  and  is  none  the  worse  for  a  strongly  disdainful  lip,  that  is 
sometimes  brightened  by  a  hearty  laugh  of  Rabelaisian  mirth.  His  arms  are  muscular,  and 
yet  lengthened  as  though  to  clasp  an  adversary ;  and  his  hand  is  broad,  firm,  solid,  and 
seems  made  for  energetic  grasping  and  setting  free  by  turns. 

When  Gambetta  is  in  repose,  the  observer  would  say  that  he  is  just  about  to  leap  upward 
or  to  take  his  flight  in  the  air  ;  in  other  words,  that  he  is  going  to  speak.  His  large  black  eye 
looks  upward  and  far  away  into  the  distance.  He  then  seems  to  be  counting  the  “  black 
spots  ”  on  the  horizon.  Yet  this  does  not  prevent  his  scanning  with  sufficient  accuracy  the 
minor  questions  that  swarm  below  and  on  either  side.  His  mind  is  versatile  enough  to 
sweep  in  at  one  and  the  same  moment  the  grandest  topics  and  the  most  minute  details. 
He  can  soar  aloft  or  creep  belovv,  and  is  just  as  much  at  home  amid  the  intricacies  of  affairs 
as  on  the  loftier  heights  of  politics. 

Gambetta  is,  above  all  things,  a  popular  orator  and  advocate,  and  it  would  be  impossible 
to  find  one  more  electrical  or  more  vibratory  in  the  shock  and  tremor  of  his  words. 

He  lives  in  modest  appartments  on  the  fifth  floor  at  No.  45  Rue  Bonaparte.  A  few  en¬ 
gravings,  a  good  many  books,  a  bust  of  Mirabeau,  form  about  all  the  luxuries  of  these 
quiet  quarters,  which  have  been  occupied  by  the  student,  the  lawyer,  and  the  deputy  in  the 
successive  stages  of  his  career.  Such  is,  in  brief,  a  hasty  picture  of  the  man  whom  the 
grand  events  of  the  current  year  have  made  a  conspicuous  figure  in  French  contemporan¬ 
eous  history,  and  who  is  now  called  to  the  front  in  a  decisive  hour. 

GABRIEL  CLAUDE  JULES  FAVRE,  MINISTER  OF  FOREIGN  AFFAIRS. 
The  name  of  M.  Favre  heads  the  list  of  members  composing  the  Provis¬ 
ional  Government.  This  distinguished  politician  was  born  at  Lyons  on  the 
31st  of  March,  1809,  his  father  being  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits. 
Sent  to  Paris  to  receive  his  education,  he  was  there  studying  law  when  the 
revolution  of  1830  broke  out.  In  a  letter  published  in  the  National  on  the 
29th  of  July,  he  declared  in  favor  of  the  abolition  of  monarchy  and  the  crea¬ 
tion  of  a  constitutional  republic. 

His  views,  however,  were  not  adopted.  Louis  Philippe  ascended  the  throne,  and  the 
young  Republican  student  immediately  after  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  Returning 
to  Lyons,  almost  his  first  public  appearance  at  the  bar  was  as  counsel  for  the  workingmen 
charged  with  belonging  to  illegal  associations.  This  affair  was  the  signal  for  a  bloody 
struggle  between  the  workingmen  and  the  garrison,  during  which  M.  Favre  narrowly  es¬ 
caped  death  from  a  fire  of  musketry  directed  at  him.  In  1835  he  defended  the  revolution¬ 
ists  of  April,  and  began  his  great  speech  with  the  defiant  avowal,  “  I  am  a  Republican.” 
As  an  orator  as  well  as  a  revolutionist,  he  had  by  this  time  made  a  considerable  reputation, 
and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  heads  of  the  Republican  party  of  France. 

Until  1848,  M.  Favre  remained  out  of  office,  but  still  a  never-ending  thorn  in  the  side  of 
the  Government.  The  revolution  of  1S48  succeeded  as  much  under  his  leadership  as  under 
that  of  any  other  man  in  France.  He  was  at  once  appointed  Secretary  General  of  the 
Ministry  of  the  Interior,  and  as  such  wrote  the  famous  circulars  to  the  commissioners  of  the 
Provisional  Government  instructing  them  how  to  exercise  their  almost  unlimited  powers. 
Soon  after  he  was  elected  a  representative  from  the  Department  of  the  Loire,  when  he  at  once 
resigned  his  office  in  the  Ministry.  During  the  same  year  he  acted  for  a  brief  while  as 
Under  Secretary  of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  in  this  capacity  supported  the  prosecution  of 
Louis  Blanc  and  Caussidiere  for  the  insurrection  of  June.  Voting  with  the  extreme  Left,  he 
refused  to  vote  the  national  thanks  to  General  Cavaignac.  Soon  after  he  became  an  oppo¬ 
nent  of  Louis  Napoleon,  and  bitterly  denounced  the  expedition  to  Rome.  He  was  re¬ 
elected  to  the  Legislature  from  the  Department  of  the  Rhone,  and,  after  the  flight  of 
Ledru-Rollin,  became  the  leader  of  the  “  Mountain.”  The  coup  d’etat  of  1851  put  an  end 
to  the  political  career  of  M.  Favre  for  six  years.  In  1857,  however,  he  was  elected  to  the 
Corps  Logislatif  as  an  opposition  member.  As  the  ejefender  of  the  conspirator  Orsini,  he 
created  a  great  sensation  by  his  denunciations  of  tyrants.  Since  then  he  has  remained  a 
member  of  the  Corps,  and  been  distinguished  by  his  bitter  hostility  to  the  empire.  He  is  a 


LIVES  OF  THE  NEW  MINISTRY. 


271 


radical  Republican,  a  brilliant  orator,  and  an  author  of  note.  What  his  capacity  as  a  states¬ 
man  is,  remains  to  be  seen. 

LOUIS  JOSEPH  ERNEST  PICARD,  MINISTER  OF  FINANCE. 

M.  Picard,  who  has  just  been  appointed  one  of  the  Committee  of  Public 
Defence  and  Minister  of  Finance,  was  born  in  Paris  on  the  24th  of  Decem¬ 
ber,  1821. 

He  is  a  strong  Republican  politician,  and,  like  many  others  of  the  Parisian  politicians 
of  the  French  capital,  is  a  lawyer  by  profession,  being  called  to  the  bar  in  1844.  He  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Corps  L6gislatif  for  the  Fifth  Circonscription  of  the  Department  of 
Seine  in  1858,  since  which  time  he  has  been  more  or  less  actively  engaged  in  politics. 

JULES  SIMON,  MINISTER  OF  PUBLIC  INSTRUCTION. 

M.  Simon  is  a  native  of  Lorient,  where  he  was  born  on  the  31st  of  De¬ 
cember,  1814.  He  received  a  brilliant  education,  which  was  concluded  at 
the  Normal  School. 

Selecting  philosophy  as  his  profession,  he  was  employed  in  1835  in  teaching  that  science  at 
the  Lyc6e  de  Caen,  and  subsequently  at  other  places,  gaining  great  reputation  by  his  numer¬ 
ous  lectures  and  writings.  In  1845  he  was  decorated  with  the  Legion  of  Honor.  During 
the  following  year  he  was  an  opposition  candidate  for  the  Chamber  of  Deputies,  and  was 
beaten  ;  but  in  1848,  when  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  revolution,  he  was  elected  by  the 
same  Department  by  63,000  votes.  In  the  Assembly  he  voted  with  the  moderate  Republi¬ 
cans.  He  was  made  a  member  of  the  Council  of  State  in  1849.  Refusing  to  give  his  con¬ 
sent  to  the  coup  d'etat,  he  was  forced  into  temporary  retirement,  from  which  he  emerged 
when  elected  an  opposition  member  to  the  Corps  L6gislatif.  He  was  known  as  one  of  the 
most  determined  opponents  of  Louis  Napoleon,  but  was  not  regarded  as  an  extreme  Repub¬ 
lican.  As  a  philosopher,  M.  Simon  has  achieved  a  brilliant  reputation.  His  published 
works  are  quite  voluminous,  and  rank  with  those  of  Cuvier  and  other  eminent  writers  on 
philosophy. 

MAJOR-GENERAL  TROCHU,  MINISTER  OF  WAR. 

This  distinguished  officer,  who  is  now  in  command  at  Paris,  bears  the 
reputation  of  being  one  of  the  ablest  military  men  in  Europe.  He  is  fifty- 
four  years  of  age,  having  been  born  in  1816.  He  was  educated  at  the  mili¬ 
tary  school  of  St.  Cyr,  where  he  displayed  marked  aptness  and  ability. 
On  graduating,  he  was  commissioned  a  sub-lieutenant  in  the  army,  and  was 
soon  after  sent  to  Algeria.  Here  Lieutenant  Trochu,  as  is  the  case  witli 
nearly  all  of  the  prominent  generals  of  France,  first  saw  military  service. 

In  the  numerous  campaigns  against  the  Arabs  he  greatly  distinguished  himself  by  his 
skill  and  gallantry,  and  at  the  outbreak  of  the  revolution  of  1848  had  risen  to  the  rank  of 
major.  Immediately  after  the  re-establishment  of  the  empire  he  was  commissioned  a  col¬ 
onel,  and  for  a  time  served  on  the  staff  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon.  During  the  war  between 
France  and  England  on  the  one  side,  and  Russia  on  the  other.  Colonel  Trochu  was  sent  to  the 
Crimea  as  the  confidential  agent  of  Napoleon  He  took  part  in  all  the  military  councils  of 
the  allied  commanders,  and  is  said  to  have  had  more  to  do  with  determining  the  action  of 
the  French  army  than  either  Marshal  St.  Arnaud  or  General  Canrobert.  For  his  services 
he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  general  of  brigade.  The  Italian  campaign  of  1859,  report 
has  it,  was  planned  by  him  and  the  late  Marshal  Niel.  Its  complete  success  is  well  known 
to  all  students  of  history.  Subsequently  Trochu  was  made  major-general.  It  is  certain 
that  until  i860  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  supporter  and  friend  of  Napoleon.  Since  then  it 
is  claimed  that  there  has  been  a  coldness  existing  between  the  two,  Trochu  laboring  under 
the  impression  that  he  has  been  overslaughed  by  the  Emperor,  who  has  promoted  inferior 
officers  over  him.  But  it  is  not  true  that  he  was  always  an  adherent  of  the  Orleans  dy¬ 
nasty.  He  may  be  now,  and  if  he  is,  his  partisanship  dates  since  the  Italian  war.  As  regards 
the  present  war,  the  General  is  not  only  reported  to  be  a  bitter  enemy  to  Prussia  and  in 
favor  of  it,  but  also  to  have  prepared  a  plan  of  campaign,  offensive  and  defensive,  and  if 
these  statements  be  true,  we  may  depend  that  he  will  continue  the  struggle  to  the  bitter 
end.  Trochu  is  a  Liberal,  and  his  sentiments  in  favor  of  parliamentary  government  have 
long  been  known.  He  is  not  a  Republican,  however.  Soon  after  the  defeat  of  Marshal 
MacMahon  at  Woerth,  General  Trochu  was  appointed  Governor  of  Paris,  a  position  he 
still  holds  in  connection  with  the  office  of  Minister  of  War.  Whether  he  will  remain  faith¬ 
ful  to  the  Republic,  now  that  one  has  been  proclaimed,  or  intrigue  for  a  restoration  of  the 
monarchy,  time  alone  can  decide. 

JULES  GREVY,  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  COUNCIL. 

M.  Grevy  was  born  at  Mont-sous-Vandrez,  in  the  Jura,  in  1810.  He 


272 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


moved  to  Paris  when  a  young  man,  studied  law,  and  after  his  admission  to 
the  bar  became  conspicuous  on  account  of  the  radical  sentiments  he  gave 
expression  to  at  every  opportunity. 

After  the  revolution  of  1848,  he  was  appointed  a  Commissioner  of  the  Provisional  Govern¬ 
ment  in  his  Department,  and  exercised  his  powers  with  much  discretion  and  moderation. 
He  was  subsequently  elected  a  member  of  the  Constituent  Assembly  by  a  large  majority, 
and  became  Vice-President  of  the  Assembly  and  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Justice. 
As  a  representative,  he  was  noted  for  his  conservative  sentiments  —  although  he  generally 
voted  with  the  extreme  Left  —  and  for  his  eloquence  as  an  orator.  After  the  election  of 
Louis  Napoleon,  he  went  into  opposition,  and  denounced  the  expedition  to  Rome.  Re¬ 
elected  to  the  Assembly,  he  remained  faithful  to  the  democracy,  and  opposed  the  coalition 
between  the  Royalists  and  Bonapartists.  The  coup  cT etat  drove  him  from  political  life,  to 
which  he  returned  last  year,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  Corps  L6gislatif. 

GARNIER-PAGES. 

Louis  Antoine  Gamier- Pages  was  born  in  Marseilles  on  the  17th  of  July, 
1803.  The  double  name  he  bears  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  mother  had 
been  twice  married.  When  the  revolution  of  1830  broke  out,  Gamier- Pages 
played  his  part,  though  an  unimportant  one,  in  and  around  the  barricades 
in  the  streets  of  Paris. 

When  quiet  was  restored,  and  the  machinery  of  government  was  again  in  running  order 
in  the  French  capital,  Garnier-PagGs  was  returned  as  a  deputy  of  the  arrondissement  of 
Verneuil,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  Chamber  on  the  Liberal  side.  From  the  tenor  of  his 
speeches  and  the  course  which  he  pursued,  it  was  evident  that  he  had  given  the  subjects  of 
finance  and  commerce  no  small  degree  of  attention.  This  was  acknowledged  on  both 
sides  of  the  house,  and  his  remarks  on  these  important  questions  attracted  considerable 
attention.  He  became  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  organization  which  was  engaged  in  the 
getting  up  of  the  banquets  known  as  the  reform  banquets,  which  preceded  the  revolution 
of  1848.  His  ability  was  at  that  time  so  recognized,  that  he  was  chosen  Mayor  of  the  city 
of  Paris,  and  discharged  the  duties  of  the  office  with  such  marked  ability,  that  he  was  after¬ 
wards  appointed  Minister  of  Finance  under  the  Provisional  Government.  In  this  more 
delicate  position  he  proved  himself  equal  to  the  task.  He  introduced  many  important  re¬ 
forms,  and  had  also  to  deal  with  a  financial  crisis.  The  ability  with  which  he  handled  this 
latter  duty  again  won  for  him  an  enviable  confidence.  A  system  of  dock  warrants  and 
bonded  warehouses  were  among  some  of  the  reforms  he  introduced  while  acting  in  the 
capacity  of  Finance  Minister.  In  1864  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission,  and  also  of  the  Legislative  Assembly.  Though  his  career  as  a  politician  has  been 
an  active  one,  extending  at  times  through  periods  of  wild  excitement,  he  has  found  time  to 
devote  some  attention  to  literature.  He  has  written  a  “  History  of  the  Revolution  of  1848,’* 
a  work  of  considerable  merit. 

HENRI  ROCHEFORT. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  man  to-day  living  in  France  whose  name  is  better 
known  than  that  of  Henri  Rochefort  —  certainly  none  in  Parisian  Republi¬ 
can  circles.  His  well-known,  outspoken,  and  determined  hostility  to  Napo¬ 
leon  III.  involved  him  in  many  troubles.  An  intense  Republican,  he  was 
ready  at  all  times  to  express  with  his  tongue  and  with  his  pen  sentiments 
which  less  courageous  men  would  hesitate  to  pronounce. 

This  proclivity  on  his  part  was  the  means  of  bringing  him  into  collision  with  the  Govern¬ 
ment,  and  as  a  consequence  he  was  arrested  and  convicted,  and  the  publication  of  his 
journal,  the  Lanterney  was  suppressed  by  the  Government.  Rochefort,  however,  suc¬ 
ceeded  in  making  his  escape  to  Belgium,  where  he  again  entered  upon  the  publication  of 
his  notorious  journal.  Though  proscribed  in  France,  it  found  a  ready  sale,  the  very  ban 
of  exclusion  which  was  placed  upon  it  by  the  Imperial  Government  doing  more  to  increase 
its  popularity  than  to  prevent  its  circulation.  After  a  short  exile  the  Emperor  extended  a 
full  pardon  to  the  noisy  journalist,  and  he  returned  to  Paris.  For  a  time  he  was  the  lion 
of  the  hour  ;  but  he  gradually  subsided  into  something  like  comparative  quietness.  Yet 
occasionally  he  fell  into  his  old  habits.  As  the  Lanterne  could  not  be  revived  in  Paris, 
and  as  Rochefort  could  not  do  without  a  journal  to  ventilate  his  opinions,  he  commenced 
the  publication  of  the  Marseillaise.  In  this  paper  he  again  attacked  the  Government,  and 
so  bitter  were  his  strictures  on  the  Executive,  indulging  in  personal  slurs  rather  than  dis¬ 
cussing  the  public  management  of  affairs,  that  his  paper  was  not  only  suspended,  but  he 
himself  was  imprisoned.  Last  year,  Rochefort  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Corps  LGgisla- 
tif,  but  his  career  in  that  body  is  not  remarkable  for  anything  which  can  distinguish  him 
from  any  member  of  it  possessed  of  ordinary  ability. 


MONDA  Y,  SEPTEMBER  5. 


273 


PIERRE  MAGNE. 


It  is  proper  here  to  notice  Pierre  Magne,  the  ex-Secretary  of  Finance,  who 
remains  as  good  friend  and  sound  adviser  of  the  Republic.  He  was  ap¬ 
pointed  Minister  of  Finance  on  the  overthrow  of  the  Ollivier  Ministry. 
M.  Magne  was  born  at  Perigoux,  December  3,  in  the  year  1806.  He  is  a 
self-made  man,  being  of  what  is  termed  an  “  obscure  ”  family. 

In  1831  he  was  admitted  as  an  avocat ,  or  attorney,  and  was  patronized  by  Marshal 
Bugeaud.  M.  Fould  noticed  his  peculiar  ability,  and  soon  afterwards  took  charge  of  his 
political  fortunes.  He  became  a  member  both  of  the  Constituent  and  Legislative  Assem¬ 
blies,  in  which  bodies  he  was  recognized  as  a  practical  man,  although  not  much  of  a  debat¬ 
ing  speech-maker.  He  retired  to  private  life  in  1848,  but  was  recalled  to  official  position  as 
Under  Secretary  of  State  for  Finance  in  1849.  April  10,  1851,  he  was  appointed  Minister 
of  Public  Works,  in  which  office  he  was  very  successful  during  three  or  four  years.  He 
was  an  able  advocate  of  railroad  extension  in  France,  and  during  the  interim  inspected  all 
the  main  lines  already  laid  down  in  the  empire  and  in  other  countries  of  Europe,  adopting 
and  suggesting  improvements.  From  1854  to  i860  he  held  the  portfolio  of  Finance.  In 
i860  he  was  nominated  Minister  without  a  portfolio,  retired  from  the  Cabinet  in  1863,  and 
was  named  a  Privy  Councillor  in  April  of  the  last-named  year.  He  is  a  Senator,  and  was 
commander  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  before  he  received  the  Grand  Cross  in  1854.  M. 
Magne  originated  and  conducted  most  of  Napoleon’s  great  loans.  During  his  absence 
from  Paris  at  one  period  the  Empress  Eugenie  visited  him,  and  found  him  feeding  a  flock 
of  chickens. 

ALEXANDRE  GLAIS-BIZOIN. 

This  statesman,  one  of  the  Government  of  National  Defence,  was  born  in 
Quintin,  Cotes  du  Nord,  on  March  9,  1800.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  1822,  and,  at  once  entering  into  political  life,  associated  himself  with  the 
Liberals  against  the  Restoration. 

After  the  revolution  of  1830,  he  was  appointed  Councillor-General  of  his  Department,  and 
was  subsequently  elected  a  deputy  for  the  arrondissement  of  Londdac,  serving  in  this 
capacity  until  1848.  He  voted  always  with  the  extreme  Left,  signed  the  Compte  Rendue 
of  1832,  and  was  conspicuous  for  his  demand  for  the  complete  application  of  the  principles 
of  1789.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  reform  banquets,  and  aided  in  overthrowing  the 
Ministry  of  M.  Guizot.  After  the  revolution  of  1848,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly,  and 
adhered  to  the  extreme  Left.  On  Louis  Napoleon’s  election  to  the  Presidency  he  at  once 
went  into  opposition,  and,  being  beaten  for  re-election,  retired  to  private  life.  In  1863  he 
was  returned  to  the  Corps  L6gislatif  as  an  opposition  member,  and  was  re-elected  in  1869. 
M.  Glais-Bizoin  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  radical  of  French  Republicans. 

EUGENE  PELLETAN. 

M.  Pelletan,  who  is  a  distinguished  French  writer  and  politician,  was 
born  at  Royan,  Charente  Inferieure,  on  the  26th  of  October,  1813. 

He  studied  law  in  Paris,  and  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Corps  L6gislatif  in  1864.  He 
is  the  author  of  several  works,  some  of  which  have  attained  a  good  place  in  French  litera¬ 
ture. 

Monday,  September  5. —  King  William  proposes  to  con¬ 
tinue  the  war.  Great  war  excitement  in  Berlin.  Napoleon  a 


prisoner  at  Wilhelmshohe.  Mob  continues  in  Paris.  The 
Crown  Prince  marching  on  Paris.  The  Republic  proclaimed 
in  Lyons,  Bordeaux,  and  Marseilles.  The  Republic  addresses 
the  army. 

BERLIN. 


Berlin,  September  5  (Official). 

The  Emperor  Napoleon  having  declared  that  his  captivity  prevents  him 
12* 


274 


THE  FRAN C  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


from  negotiating  the  peace,  the  French  Government  being  at  Paris,  the  war 
will  be  continued. 

MARCHING  ON. 

A  private  despatch  from  the  King’s  headquarters  says  the 
Crown  Prince  resumed  his  march  on  Paris  the  morning  after 
the  victory  at  Sedan.  Camps  were  broken  up,  and  heads  of 
columns  in  motion  at  daylight. 

CONTINUED  JOY  IN  BERLIN. 

There  is  a  mad,  intense,  fiery  excitement  of  joy  prevailing 
everywhere,  on  all  sides,  in  doors  and  out,  in  the  Prussian 
capital,  caused  by  the  wonderful  developments  which  are  tak¬ 
ing  place  momentarily!  There  are  five  hundred  thousand  per¬ 
sons  in  the  streets  of  the  city.  There  is  a  most  magnificent 
illumination  in  every  dwelling,  from  the  highest  to  the  most 
humble.  Wherever  an  American  flag  is  displayed ,  the  proces¬ 
sions  halt ,  and  salute  it  with  loudest  cheers.  The  royal  palace 
is  surrounded  to  its  very  doors  with  the  joyous  crowds.  Queen 
Augusta  came  out  and  saluted  the  people,  but  in  doing  so  her 
Majesty  was  so  completely  overcome  by  her  feelings,  that  she 
burst  into  tears. 

PARIS  MAD  WITH  MOBS. 

Paris,  September  5,  6.12  p.m. —  The  mobs  continue  to  tear 
down  signs  containing  the  Imperial  arms  and  medals.  In  some 
cases  the  people  have  climbed  up  the  highest  stories  to  tear 
from  the  theatres  the  word  “  Imperial.”  Extreme  care  is 
evinced  to  respect  the  arms  of  other  nations.  In  one  of  the 
streets  a  large  crowd,  upon  the  point  of  tearing  down  a  repre¬ 
sentation  of  the  American  eagle,  ascertained  their  mistake,  and 
shojited  loudly ,  “  Vive  Republique  Americaine."  The  police  are 
no  longer  to  be  seen  in  the  streets.  The  large  bronze  eagles 
have  been  taken  down  from  the  new  Opera  House.  Portraits 
of  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  seen  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville  ball¬ 
rooms,  were  thrown  out  of  the  windows,  and  the  people  trod 
and  danced  upon  the  canvass. 

“  Ati  Eniperor  dies ,  but  does  ?iot  surrender ,”  and  “  A  bas 
l Empire  !  ”  are  heard  ;  while  the  people  shout,  “  Vive  la  Repub- 
lique,"  “  Vive  Rochefort ,”  and  throw  a  scarlet  scarf  around  his 
neck. 

The  following  proclamation  has  been  issued  to  the  Garde 
Nationale  : 

“  Those  on  whom  your  patriotism  has  just  imposed  the  formidable  mis¬ 
sion  of  defending  the  country,  thank  you  for  your  brave  devotion.  To 
your  resolution  is  due  the  civic  victory  which  has  restored  liberty  to  France. 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  5. 


It  has  not  cost  a  drop  of  blood.  Personal  power  is  no  more.  The  na¬ 
tion  entire  resumes  her  rights  and  her  arms.  She  rises  ready  to  die  in  de¬ 
fence  of  the  soil.  You  have  given  her  back  her  soul,  which  despotism  had 
stifled.  You  will  maintain  with  firmness  the  execution  of  the  laws,  and, 
rivalling  our  noble  army,  you  will  show  us  together  the  road  to  victory.” 

THE  EMPEROR. 

At  two  o’clock  to-day,  the  Emperor  passed  through  Co¬ 
logne  without  stopping,  the  engines  having  been  changed  out¬ 
side  the  city.  The  train  consisted  of  ten  cars.  It  left  Ver- 
viers  at  eleven  o’clock  this  forenoon,  and  Aix-la-Chapelle  at 
noon.  Another  long  train  with  the  Imperial  household  pre¬ 
ceded  it.  The  various  railway  stations  were  thronged  with 
crowds  of  people,  who  were  curious  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
Emperor. 

By  the  order  of  King  William,  two  Chamberlains  of  the 
Court  of  Prussia  are  in  attendance  upon  the  Emperor. 

Wilhelmshohe,  September  5. — The  Imperial  train  reached 
this  station  at  thirty-five  minutes  past  nine  p.m.,  where  the  garrison 
officers,  General  Plonske  and  resident  officials  of  the  province, 
had  assembled.  The  Emperor,  on  alighting,  passed  to  Plonske’s 
carriage,  saluting  the  officers  of  the  corps,  who  drew  up  with 
presented  arms.  He  looked  serious,  not  crushed.  There 
were  ,no  signs  of  bloat  or  unhealthy  embonpoint.  He  wore 
the  undress  uniform  of  a  general,  with  a  riding  cape  of  the  Gar- 
ibaldian  pattern.  The  crowd  was  silent,  respectful,  and  sympa¬ 
thetic. 

Napoleon  is  accompained  in  his  exile  by  General  Castelnau, 
the  Prince  de  la  Moskowa,  and  Counts  de  Genlis,  de  Waubert, 
Reille,  and  Pajol,  all  of  his  personal  staff. 

Tuesday,  September  6. — King  William  at  Rheims.  Bis¬ 
marck  says  the  North  German  Confederation  must  have  Stras- 
burg  and  Metz.  Jules  Favre  addresses  the  crowned  heads. 
The  American  Press  declares  for  the  Republic.  The  Crown 
Prince  addresses  his  army. 

THE  PRUSSIAN  ARMY. 

Rheims,  September  6.  —  The  King’s  headquarters  are  estab¬ 
lished  at  Rheims  until  the  9th,  to  enable  all  the  troops  to 


276 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


come  up.  Seven  North  German  corps,  beside  two  Bavarian 
and  the  Wiirtemberg  corps,  are  on  the  road,  unhindered.  The 
German  army,  with  the  reserves  are  coming  up,  and  will  number 
400,000  men. 

BISMARCK  SAYS 

to-day,  that  “  Prussia  will  not  interfere  with  France’s  domestic 
affairs. 

“  Our  people  think  we  must  have  those  German  provinces  France  took 
from  us  many  years  ago.  We  must,  at  least,  render  France  powerless  to 
menace  us  by  the  same  road.  Metz  and  Strasburg  we  must  have,  and  we 
ask  no  more  than  is  necessary  to  our  own  safety. 

“We  are  a  very  patient  people.  They  have  been  telling  us  that  if  we 
would  not  fight,  they  would  compel  us.  Well,  we  are  like  the  father  of  a 
family,  who,  after  enduring  many  insults,  at  last  determines  to  fight  a  duel, 
only  on  condition  that  the  combat  shall  be  decisive  and  shall  be  final.” 

PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  CROWN  PRINCE. 

Soldiers  :  Through  great  victories  of  the  armies,  the  hope  of  a  glorious 
peace  has  been  won  for  the  German  people. 

On  the  battle-fields  of  France,  the  nation  has  become  conscious  of  its  greatness  and 
union,  and  this  gain,  sanctified  by  the  blood  of  many  thousands  of  our  warriors,  we  trust, 
will  keep  its  binding  power  for  all  future  time.  But  to  the  enthusiastic  outbursts  and  emo¬ 
tions  of  these  weeks  have  come  also  feelings  of  deep  sorrow.  Many  of  the  flower  of  our 
youth,  many  of  the  leaders  of  our  army,  have  fallen  victims  of  the  victory,  and  greater 
still  is  the  number  of  those  who,  from  wounds,  and  excessive  endurance  and  exertions,  will 
be  unable  in  future  to  gain  their  livelihood  by  their  own  efforts.  They,  above  all,  and 
those  whom  the  dead  have  left  behind  them,  and  the  living  victims  of  the  war,  have  a 
claim  to  the  gratitude  of  the  nation.  Whoever  has  shared  the  enthusiasm  of  this  contest ; 
whoever,  from  the  rising  up  of  our  whole  people  in  their  might,  hopes  for  a  new  happy  era 
of  peace,  and  in  our  victories  and  the  defeat  of  our  foes  worships  a  judgment  of  God  on 
high,  let  him  now  prove  his  fidelity  to  the  warriors  of  our  people’s  army,  and  their  fami¬ 
lies  Help  from  the  State  alone,  however  fully  it  may  be  given,  will  not  suffice  to  support 
the  large  number  of  invalids  and  their  families,  That  help  only  affords  what  is  absolutely 
necessary,  and  unavoidably  confined  to  general  normal  rules,  and  cannot  attend  to  the 
need  and  wants  of  the  individual.  Great  efforts  of  voluntary  help  will  be  required  this 
time,  for,  huge  as  the  successes  have  been,  the  losses  of  the  war  are  enormous.  In  the 
same  way  in  which  this  war  has  created  a  uniform  and  united  German  army,  in  which  sons 
of  all  the  German  lands  fought  in  brotherly  emulation  of  bravery,  the  care  for  the  invalids 
and  helpless  whom  the  war  leaves  behind  must  become  the  common  business  of  Germany, 
the  North  and  South  of  our  Fatherland  taking  a  like  share  in  it.  Former  experience  has 
taught  that  it  does  not  suffice  with  generous  hearts  to  offer  donations  of  money.  Nay, 
not  less  important  and  more  difficult  is  the  proper  distribution  thereof —  the  kind  consider- 
eration  of  personal  circumstances,  and,  most  important  of  all,  the  precaution  that  the 
assistance  rendered  shall  not  weaken  instead  of  strengthen  the  power  to  earn  which  may 
still  exist,  and  that  it  really  prove  beneficial  for  the  life  of  those  assisted.  The  “Victoria 
National  Invalid  fund,”  which  was  founded  in  1868,  throughout  the  largest  part  of  Ger¬ 
many,  having  answered  this  purpose,  and  having  been  found  effective  in  its  organization, 

I  hereby  authorize  the  executive  manager  of  that  fund  to  take  in  hand  the  organization 
and  management  of  an  “Invalid  Fund  of  Germany,”  and  to  call  for  contributions  and 
the  establishment  of  branches  thereof.  His  Majesty,  the  King,  commander-in-chief  of 
the  German  army,  as  in  the  years  1864  and  18 66,  has  given  me  his  consent  to  this  patri¬ 
otic  enterprise.  This  time  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  lead  an  army  into  the  field,  in 
which  the  Bavarian,  the  Wurtemberger,  and  the  Badenener  have,  fought  side  by  side  with 
the  Prussian,  and  I  may  address  myself  to  the  hearts  of  all  Germans.  May  this  work  of 
love  be  a  common  labor  between  us  for  our  Fatherland,  and  may  it  be  the  introduction  of 
many  united  and  blessed  works  of  peace.  Friedrich  Wilhelm, 

Crown  Prince  of  Prussia. 

Headquarters ,  R  he  inis,  SeJ>t.  6,  1870. 


PARIS,  SEPTEMBER  6. 


277 


REVOLUTION  —  PARIS. 

The  Revolution  in  France  extends,  and  peacefully.  In  all 
the  important  towns  the  Republic  has  been  proclaimed  amid 
enthusiasm,  not  confusion ;  and  the  Imperial  officials  and 
agents  have  retired,  and  the  new  administrators  of  the  new 
Government  have  taken  their  places,  without  collision  or  blood¬ 
shed.  The  Mayor  has  issued  the  following  proclamation  : 

Hotel  de  Vili.e,  Paris,  Sept.  6. —  Citizens:  I  have  been  called  by 
the  people  and  Government  of  the  National  Defence  to  the  Mayoralty 
of  Paris.  While  waiting  for  you  to  be  called  to  elect  your  municipality, 
I  take  possession  of  this  City  Hall  in  the  name  of  the  Republic,  which 
was  the  scene  of  the  patriotic  events  of  1794,  1830,  and  1848.  I  speak 
to  you  now  as  our  fathers  did  in  1792.  Citizens!  The  country  is  in  dan¬ 
ger  ;  rally  around  this  Parisian  municipality,  defended  to-day  from  siege 
by  a  soldier  of  the  Republic.  Vive  la  Republique  ! 

Etienne  Arago. 

THE  INTERNATIONAL  WORKINGMEN’S  SOCIETY, 

in  their  address  to  the  Social  Democracy  of  Germany,  says  : 

“  Prussia  made  war  against  the  Emperor,  not  France,  who  now  asks 
the  withdrawal  of  your  armies  ;  otherwise  it  will  be  the  universal  duty  of 
Frenchmen  to  rise  and  re-enact  the  scenes  of  ’93.  Frenchmen  make  no 
peace  with  the  enemy  on  their  soil ;  but  they  are  the  friends  and  allies  of 
all  free  peoples.  We  protest  against  the  intervention  of  the  Powers,  and 
implore  the  Prussian  forces  to  recross  the  Rhine.  Let  us,  with  grasped 
hands,  forget  crimes  prompted  or  perpetuated  by  despots.  Let  us  form  the 
United  States  of  Europe.  Live  the  Universal  Republic  !  ” 

THE  MINISTRY  TO  THE  ARMY  ! 

To  the  Army :  When  a  General  compromises  his  command,  he  is  re¬ 
lieved  ;  when  a  Government  puts  in  peril,  by  its  own  weakness,  the  public 
safety,  it  is  set  aside.  This  is  just  what  France  is  doing  in  abolishing  the 
dynasty  responsible  for  all  our  misfortunes.  She  has  done  boldly,  in  the 
face  of  all  the  world,  this  great  act  of  justice.  She  executes  the  decree 
under  which  all  your  conscripts  have  been  summoned,  and  in  the  same  act 
secures  the  public  safety.  To  save  itself,  the  nation  needs  now  but  to  rise  en 
masse ,  and  henceforth  to  count  on  two  things  only  :  Its  own  resolution, 
which  is  invincible  ;  and  your  heroism,  which  has  never  had  an  equal,  and 
which,  in  the  midst  of  unmerited  reverses,  has  astonished  the  world.  Ral¬ 
ly  round  the  glorious  symbol  which  eighty  years  ago  drove  back  all  Europe 
before  us.  To-day,  as  at  that  time,  the  name  of  the  Republic  signifies  the 
intimate  union  of  the  army  and  the  people  for  the  defence  of  the  coun- 
try. 

Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs — Jules  Favre. 

Minister  of  Justice — Isaac  Cremieux. 

Minister  of  the  Interior  —  Leon  Gambetta. 

Minister  of  Finance  —  Ernest  Picard. 

Superintendent  of  Public  IVorks —  Pierre  Dorian. 

Minister  of  Commerce — Joseph  Magnin. 

Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction  —  Jules  Simon. 

Minister  of  Marine —  Martin  Fourichon. 

Minister  of  lVa> - Louis  Jules  Trochu  ;  also  President 

of  the  Committee. 


278 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


M.  JULES  FAVRE’S  CIRCULAR  TO  THE  WORLD. 

PEACE - BUT  NOT  AN  INCH  OR  A  STONE  TO  PRUSSIA. 

The  Vice-President  of  the  Republic,  and  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  issues  this  circular  letter  to  French  representatives  to¬ 
day  :  —  {see  Bismarck's  reply ,  Sept.  16.) 

THE  REPUBLIC  A  NECESSITY. 

Sir — The  events  which  have  just  taken  place  in  Paris  explain  themselves 
so  well  by  the  inexorable  logic  of  facts,  that  it  is  useless  to  insist  at  length 
on  their  meaning  and  bearing.  In  ceding  to  an  irresistible  impulse,  -which 
had  been  but  too  long  restrained,  the  population  of  Paris  has  obeyed  a 
necessity  superior  to  that  of  its  own  safety  ;  it  did  not  wish  to  perish  with 
the  criminal  government  which  was  leading  France  to  her  ruin  ;  it  has  not 
pronounced  the  deposition  of  Napoleon  III.  and  of  his  dynasty;  it  has 
registered  it  in  the  name  of  right,  justice,  and  public  safety,  and  the  sentence 
was  so  well  ratified  beforehand  by  the  conscience  of  all,  that  no  one,  even 
among  the  most  noisy  defenders  of  the  power  that  was  falling,  raised  his 
voice  to  uphold  it. 

THE  CRIMINAL  EMPIRE  COLLAPSES. 

It  collapsed  of  itself  under  the  weight  of  its  faults ,  and  amid  the  accla¬ 
mations  of  an  immense  people,  without  a  single  drop  of  blood  being  shed, 
without  any  one  individual  being  deprived  of  his  personal  liberty,  and  we 
have  been  able  to  see  —  a  thing  unheard  of  in  history —  the  citizens,  upon 
whom  the  popular  voice  conferred  the  perilous  mandate  to  fight  and  to 
conquer,  not  thinking  for  a  moment  of  their  political  adversaries  who,  but 
the  day  before,  threatened  them  with  execution.  It  is  by  refusing  to  their 
adversaries  the  honor  of  being  subject  to  any  sort  of  repression  that  they 
have  shown  them  their  blindness  and  their  impotence.  Order  has  not  been 
disturbed  for  a  single  moment.  Our  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  patriot¬ 
ism  of  the  National  Guard  and  of  the  whole  population,  permits  us  to  affirm 
that  it  will  not  be  disturbed.  Rescued  from  the  shame  and  the  danger  of  a 
Government  which  has  proved  itself  a  traitor  to  all  its  duties,  each  one  now 
comprehends  that  the  first  act  of  the  national  sovereignty,  at  last  recon¬ 
quered,  must  be  one  of  self-control  —  the  seeking  of  strength  in  respect  for 
right.  Moreover,  time  must  not  be  lost;  the  enemies  are  at  our  gates; 
we  have  but  one  thought — namely,  their  expulsion  from  our  territory. 
But  this  obligation,  which  we  resolutely  accept,  we  did  not  impose  upon 
France.  She  would  not  be  in  her  present  position  if  our  voice  had  been 
listened  to.  We  have  energetically  defended,  even  at  the  cost  of  our  popu¬ 
larity,  the  policy  of  peace.  We  still  maintain  the  same  opinion  with 
increasing  conviction.  Our  heart  breaks  at  the  sight  of  these  human  mas¬ 
sacres,  wherein  is  sacrificed  the  flower  of  the  two  nations,  that  a  little  good 
sense  and  a  great  deal  of  liberty  would  have  preserved  from  such  frightful 
catastrophes.  We  cannot  find  any  expression  capable  of  rendering  our 
admiration  for  our  heroic  army,  sacrificed  by  the  incapacity  of  the  supreme 
commander,  but  showing  itself  greater  in  its  defeats  than  in  the  most  bril¬ 
liant  victory  ;  for,  in  spite  of  the  knowledge  of  faults  which  compromised 
its  safety,  the  army  has  immolated  itself  with  sublime  heroism  in  the  face  of 


TILE  REPUBLIC  TO  THE  WORLD. 


279 


certain  death,  redeeming  thus  the  honor  of  France  from  the  stain  cast 
upon  her  by  her  Government.  All  honor  to  the  army  !  The  nation  looks 
towards  it  with  open  arms.  The  Imperial  power  wished  to  divide  them. 
Misfortune  and  duty  join  them  in  a  solemn  embrace,  sealed  by  patriotism 
and  liberty.  This  alliance  renders  us  invincible.  Ready  for  every  emerg¬ 
ency,  we  look  with  calmness  on  the  position  of  affairs,  made  what  it  is,  not 
by  us,  but  by  others.  This  position  I  will  explain  in  a  few  words,  and  I 
submit  it  to  the  judgment  of  my  country  and  of  Europe. 

WE  LOUDLY  CONDEMNED  THE  WAR, 
and,  while  protesting  our  respect  for  the  rights  of  peoples,  we  asked  that 
Germany  should  be  left  mistresss  of  her  own  destinies.  We  wished  that 
liberty  should  be  at  the  same  time  our  common  tie  and  our  common  shield. 
We  were  convinced  that  these  moral  forces  would  forever  insure  peace,  but 
as  a  sanction,  we  claimed  an  arm  for  every  citizen,  a  civil  organization,  and 
the  election  of  leaders.  Then  w'e  should  have  remained  invincible  on  our 
own  soil.  The  Government  of  the  Emperor,  which  had  long  since  separated 
its  interests  from  those  of  the  country,  opposed  that  policy. 

We  take  it  up,  with  the  hope  that,  taught  by  experience,  France  will  have 
the  wisdom  to  put  it  into  practice.  On  his  side,  the  King  of  Prussia  de¬ 
clared  that  he  made  wrar,  not  against  France,  but  against  the  Imperial 
dynasty.  The  dynasty  has  fallen  to  the  ground.  France  rises,  herself  free. 
Does  the  King  of  Prussia  wish  to  continue  an  impious  struggle,  which  will 
be  at  least  as  fatal  to  him  as  to  us  ?  Does  he  wish  to  give  to  the  world  of 
the  nineteenth  century  the  cruel  spectacle  of  two  nations  destroying  one 
another,  and,  in  forgetfulness  of  humanity,  reason,  and  science,  heaping 
corpse  upon  corpse  and  ruin  upon  ruin  ?  He  is  free  to  assume  this  respon¬ 
sibility  in  the  face  of  the  world  and  of  history.  It  is  a  challenge  ;  we  accept 
it. 

NOT  A  STONE,  NOT  AN  INCH. 

We  will  not  cede  cither  an  inch  of  our  territory  or  a  stone  of  our  fort¬ 
resses.  A  shameful  peace  would  mean  a  war  of  extermination  at  an 
early  date.  We  will  only  treat  for  a  durable  peace.  In  this  our  interest 
is  that  of  the  whole  of  Europe,  and  we  have  reason  to  hope  that,  freed 
from  all  dynastic  considerations,  the  question  will  thus  present  itself  before 
the  Cabinets  of  Europe.  But  should  we  be  alone  we  shall  not  yield.  We 
have  a  resolute  army,  well- provisioned  forts,  a  well-established  enceinte, 
and,  above  all,  the  breasts  of  300,000  combatants,  determined  to  hold  out 
to  the  last.  When  they  piously  lay  crowns  at  the  feet  of  the  statue  of 
Strasburg,  they  do  not  obey  merely  an  enthusiastic  sentiment  of  admiration : 
they  adopt  their  heroic  mot  d’ordre ;  they  swear  to  be  worthy  of  their 
brethren  of  Alsace,  and  to  die  as  they  have  done.  After  the  forts  we  have 
the  ramparts  ;  after  the  ramparts,  we  have  the  barricades.  Paris  can  hold 
out  for  three  months,  and  conquer.  Jf  she  succumbs,  France  will  start  up 
at  her  appeal,  and  avenge  her.  France  would  continue  the  struggle,  and 
the  aggressor  would  perish. 

Such  is,  sir,  what  Europe  must  know.  We  have  not  accepted  power 
with  any  other  object  ;  we  will  not  keep  it  a  moment  if  we  should  not  find 
the  population  of  Paris  and  the  whole  of  France  decided  to  share  our  reso¬ 
lutions.  I  sum  up  these  resolves  briefly  in  the  presence  of  God,  who  hears 
me  ;  in  the  face  of  posterity,  which  shall  judge  us.  We  wish  only  for 
peace,  but  if  this  disastrous  war,  which  we  liave  condemend,  is  continued 


2S0 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


against  us,  we  shall  do  our  duty  to  the  last ;  and  I  have  the  firm  confidence 
that  our  cause,  which  is  that  of  right  and  of  justice,  will  triumph  in  the 
end.  It  is  in  this  manner  that  I  invite  you  to  explain  the  situation  to  the 
Minister  of  the  court  to  which  you  are  accredited,  and  in  whose  hands  you 
will  place  a  copy  of  this  document. 

Accept,  sir,  the  expression  of  my  high  consideration. 

The  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

September  6,  1870.  Jules  Favre. 

THE  COSMOPOLITAN  PRESS  ON  THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  London  Times  and  other  morning  papers  accept  the  French  revolu¬ 
tion  with  favor,  as  the  clear  expression  of  the  national  will.  They  antici¬ 
pate  no  disorder.  The  Times  has  every  good  wish  for  the  French  statesmen 
now  seeking  to  reestablish  the  Government  and  preserve  order.  It  expects, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  that  a  new  Constitution  will  be  made. 

The  Pall  Mall  Gazette  says  the  Prussians  have  utterly  broken  and  de¬ 
feated  the  Emperor  and  France,  and  it  would  be  creditable  now  to  desist. 
Only  one  or  two  strong  frontier  places,  like  Strasburg,  should  be  retained  as 
guarantees. 

THE  AMERICAN  PRESS. 

The  American  Press  is  almost  a  unit  in  favor  of  the  French 
Republic.  The  Tribune  calls  upon  King  William  to  be  liberal 
with  a  suffering  people,  who  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Imperial 
war.  Manton  Marble  and  George  Wilkes  are  out  in  bold  leaders 
for  the  young  Republic  Scathing  are  the  Philippics  of  George 
Wilkes  against  the  crowned  heads,  as  they  were  against  rebel¬ 
lion  in  ’62  ;  but  he  does  not  lead  Mr.  Dana,  the  champion  of 
Cuba,  who  writes  to  a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  readers 
every  morning  to  stand  by  France  and  the  new  liberty. 
Theodore  Tilton,  and  George  W.  Smalley,  who  has  heretofore 
been  a  champion  of  insulted  Prussia,  have  espoused  the  Repub¬ 
lican  cause.  Outside  of  the  city,  the  young  French  Republic 
can  claim  among  her  supporters,  Mr.  Charles  F.  Smith  of  the 
Albany  Evening  Journal ,  Mr.  Roberts  of  the  Utica  Herald , 
Mr.  S.  H.  Gay  of  the  Chicago  Tribune ,  “Mack”  of  the  Cin¬ 
cinnati  Inquirer ,  and  John  Gano  and  Mr.  Halsted  of  the 
Commercial. 

The  Southern  papers,  the  Louisville  Journal ,  Memphis 
Avalanche ,  and  New  Orleans  Picayune,  have  no  sympathy  for 
Prussia  against  the  new  Government  of  France. 

Wednesday,  September  7. — The  Prussian  march  on  Paris 
obstructed.  Order  restored  in  Paris,  and  the  city  preparing  for 
defence.  Garibaldi  sustains  the  French  Republic. 


WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  7. 


281 


PRUSSIAN  ARMY. 

Soissons,  September  7.  —  The  advance  of  the  Crown  Prince 
is  here  to-day,  consisting  of  the  Fifth,  Sixth,  Eleventh,  and  two 
Bavarian  Corps.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  has  the  Fourth 
and  Twelfth  Corps,  with  Saxon  and  Prussian  Guards.  The 
French  engineers  are  blowing  up  bridges,  while  the  Prussian 
advance  are  rebuilding  them.  The  Prussian  advance  will  cross 
the  Aisne  to-morrow. 

PARIS  PREPARING  FOR  SIEGE. 

Paris,  September  7.  —  There  seems  to  be  but  one  patriotic 
sentiment  among  the  people  —  the  defence  of  the  nation.  Or¬ 
ganization  is  quietly  proceeding.  The  Moniteur  says  orders 
have  been  given  to  barricade  the  streets,  to  render  any  assault 
of  the  enemy  more  difficult.  People  are  quitting  the  city  with 
the  utmost  haste,  now  that  the  Prussians  have  approached  so 
near.  The  city  is  very  quiet.  Singing  in  the  streets  has  en¬ 
tirely  stopped,  and  as  the  enemy  draws  near,  the  people  evince 
a  quiet  but  firm  determination  to  fight.  There  is  great  rejoic¬ 
ing  at  the  practical  removal  of  the  rigid  press  censorship.  War 
news  and  details  are  now  published  without  hindrance. 

ARRIVAL  OF  TROOPS. 

General  Vinoy,  with  his  entire  force,  arrived  at  Paris  by 
railroad  at  four  o’clock  yesterday  afternoon.  His  division  con¬ 
sisted  of  eleven  trains  of  cavalry,  thirteen  trains  of  artillery,  and 
fourteen  trains  of  infantry.  The  rolling  stock  of  the  Northern 
and  other  railroads  will  be  despatched  immediately  to  the  east¬ 
ward  to  bring  back  other  troops.  Trains  are  arriving  hourly 
with  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry  from  the  front. 

DESTRUCTION  OF  RAILROADS. 

The  French  engineers  are  destroying  the  tunnels  on  the 
railroad  lines  running  east  out  of  Paris. 

GARIBALDI  TO  HIS  FRIENDS. 

To  my  Friends  :  —  Yesterday  I  said  to  you,  War  to  the  end  against  Bonaparte  ;  I  say 
to-day  that  the  French  Republic  must  be  sustained  by  all  possible  means.  Invalid  as  I 
am,  I  have  offered  my  services  to  the  Provisional  Government  of  Paris,  and  I  hope  it  will 
not  be  impossible  for  me  to  fulfil  a  duty.  Yes,  fellow-citizens,  we  ought  to  regard  it  as  a 
sacred  duty  to  succor  our  French  brothers. 

Our  mission  will  not  certainly  consist  in  fighting  our  German  brothers,  who,  in  the  hands 
of  Providence,  have  destroyed  in  the  bud  the  germ  of  the  tyranny  which  weighed  on  the 
world  ;  but  we  shall  go  to  sustain  the  only  system  which  can  assure  the  peace  and  pros¬ 
perity  of  nations. 

I  repeat,  sustain  by  all  possible  ways  the  French  Republic,  which,  rendered  wise  by  the 
lessons  of  the  past,  will  always  be  one  of  the  best  columns  of  human  regeneration. 

Caprerat  September  7,  1870.  Garibaldi. 


2S2 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Thursday,  September  8.  — America  and  Spain  recognize  the 
Republic  of  France.  Joyful  demonstrations  at  the  announce¬ 
ment.  The  Orleans  Princes  requested  by  Jules  Favre  to  leave 
Paris.  The  Emperor  is  treated  like  a  king  at  Wilhelmshohe. 
The  French  fleet  with  the  Republic. 

AMERICA  RECOGNIZES  THE  REPUBLIC. 

Minister  Washburne  telegraphed  to  the  Secretary  of  State  on 
Tuesday  last  that  he  had  been  officially  informed  of  the  forma¬ 
tion  of  a  Republican  government  for  France,  the  passage  of  the 
decheance ,  etc.  This  despatch  Secretary  Fish  sent  to  the  Presi¬ 
dent  at  Long  Branch,  who  at  once  ordered  Secretary  Fish  to 
instruct  Minister  Washburne  to  recognize  the  new  Government, 
and  extend  to  them  congratulations  on  the  formation  of  a  Re¬ 
public.  Secretary  Fish  did  so  at  once. 

Minister  Washburne  communicated  to  Jules  Favre  the  import 
of  the  President’s  instructions,  to  recognize  the  sister  Republic 
of  France,  with  the  congratulations,  etc.,  in  the  following 
note  : 

Sir  :  — I  have  received  the  communication  which  you  did  me  the  honor  of  addressing  to 
me  on  the  5th  inst.,  in  which  you  inform  me  that,  in  virtue  of  a  resolution  adopted  by  the 
members  of  the  Government  of  National  Defence,  the  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  has 
been  confided  to  you. 

I  have,  in  my  turn,  the  satisfaction  of  announcing  that  I  have  received  from  my  Govern¬ 
ment  a  telegram,  by  which  I  am  instructed  to  recognize  the  present  Government  as  that  of 
France.  In  consequence,  1  am  ready  to  enter  into  relations  with  that  Government,  and  to 
treat  with  it  on  all  the  subjects  that  may  concern  me.  In  making  this  communication  to 
your  Excellency,  I  beg  you  to  accept  for  yourself  and  for  the  other  Ministers  the  congratula¬ 
tions  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  ;  they  will  have  learnt  with  enthusiasm  of  the  pro¬ 
clamation  of  the  Republic  in  France  without  the  slightest  effusion  of  blood,  and  they  will 
associate  themselves  with  heartfelt  sympathy  in  the  great  movement  which  they  hope  and 
trust  will  be  productive  of  happy  results  for  the  French  people  and  for  the  whole  human 
race. 

Having  enjoyed  for  nearly  a  century  the  numberless  benefits  of  a  Republican  govern¬ 
ment,  the  people  of  the  United  States  can  only  watch  with  the  deepest  interest  the  efforts 
made  by  the  French  nation  — with  which  they  are  connected  by  so  many  ties —  to  found 
institutions  of  a  nature  to  insure  the  general  well-being  of  all. 

-In  terminating,  I  am  anxious  to  assure  your  Excellency  that  I  congratulate  myself  on 
having,  as  intermediate  between  myself  and  the  Ministry  of  the  National  Defence,  a  man 
whose  distinguished  merit  is  so  well  apppreciated  in  my  own  country,  and  who  has  de¬ 
voted  all  the  strength  of  his  intelligence  to  the  cause  of  liberty  and  free  institutions. 

Paris,  September  8.  Washburne. 

On  receipt  of  this  letter  of  recognition,  Favre  was  much  moved. 
He  called  immediately  on  the  American  Minister  in  person. 
Grasping  Mr.  Washburne  by  the  hand  he  exclaimed  :  “  I  re¬ 
ceive  the  7iotification  with  gratitude  a?id profound  emotion." 

Minister  Washburne  telegraphed  the  President  to-day,  that 
the  officers  of  the  Republic  were  overjoyed  at  the  announce¬ 
ment. 


AMERICA  AND  THE  REPUBLIC. 


283 


PRESIDENT  GRANT  AND  THE  REPUBLIC. 

It  is  a  matter  of  much  national  importance  to  state  that  the 
President  is  now  openly  and  avowedly  for  the  maintenance  of 
the  French  Republic.  He  said  to-day:  “/  have  hastened  to 
give  the  new  Republic  our  moral  support ,  and  hope  that  before 
the  week  is  out  she  will  not  ?ieed  anything  further.  I  think 
the  Prussian  King  may  be  induced  to  stop  fighting."  He 
talked  freely  to  several  gentlemen  in  favor  of  the  Republic.  In 
his  avowed  support  of  the  Republic  he  is  warmly  supported  by 
Secretaries  Fish  and  Robeson. 

THE  REPUBLIC  TO  AMERICA. 

The  recognition  of  the  French  Republic  by  the  American 
Government  led  to  an  imposing  demonstration.  When  the 
crowd  arrived  in  front  of  the  Legation,  several  of  its  members 
were  chosen  to  convey  to  Mr.  Washburne  the  expression  of  its 
sentiments.  Mr.  Washburne  listened  with  much  emotion  to 
the  following  address  delivered  by  M.  Lucien  : 

.  Sir  :  In  the  name  of  a  greatnumber  of  citizens,  certain  of  the  approval 
of  and  support  by  the  entire  nation,  we  come  to  beg  you  to  testify  to  your 
Government  our  gratitude  for  the  spontaneity  with  which  it  has  answered 
the  announcement  of  a  French  Republic.  A  great  part  of  our  thanks  be¬ 
long  to  you  also,  Sir,  for  the  generous  expressions  which  your  heart  dic¬ 
tated  when  communicating  to  us  the  adhesion  by  your  Government.  We 
did  not  expect  less  from  that  great  and  generous  American  nation,  whose 
aspirations  and  principles  have  always  been  in  harmony  with  the  ideas  of 
France.  To-day  America  and  France  are  sisters  —  sister  Republics ;  that 
is,  sisters  of  Liberty.  The  ocean  which  separates  us  is  less  profound  than 
the  sentiment  which  unites  us.  Long  live  the  United  States  of  A?ner- 
ica.” 

The  Minister  then  appeared  at  the  balcony,  and  said : 

“I  am  moved  by  this  demonstration.  The  Republic  of  the  United 
States  has  received  with  joy  the  advent  of  the  French  Republic.  I  will 
convey  the  thanks  you  have  given  me  to  my  Government,  which  I  know 
will  be  much  pleased  with  this  patriotic  manifestation.” 

Along  the  Boulevard  to-night  there  were  many  shouts  of 
“  Vive  les  Etats  Unis,"  and  “  Vive  l’ Independance."  The  ac¬ 
tion  of  the  United  States  Government  is  warmly  commented 
on  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  Jules  Favre  called  again  to-day  to 
reiterate  his  thanks  to  the  nation  and  to  Mr.  Washburne.  La 
France  (newspaper)  recalls  the  fact  that  in  1848  the  United 
States  was  the  first  country  to  recognize  the  French  Republic, 
and  she  is  the  first  again  in  1870. 

The  fournal  de  Paris  says  : 

America  has  merited  well  of  the  civilized  world  for  addressing  France  in 
the  hour  of  peril  and  misfortune  words  of  consolation  and  hope.  By  recog- 


284 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


nizing  the  French  Republic,  America  opens  the  way  of  peace.  It  must  be 
that  the  people  of  this  continent  will  follow  her  example. 


SPAIN’S  RECOGNITION. 

A  COMIC  BLUNDER  IN  DIPLOMACY. 

Spain  recognizes  the  Republic,  but  all  through  a  comical  dip¬ 
lomatic  blunder.  Its  ludicrous  history  is  this :  After  the  dec¬ 
laration  of  the  Republic,  Paris  was  in  a  whirlpool  of  excite¬ 
ment.  '  Seiior  Olozaga,  the  Spanish  ambassador  in  Paris,  was 
enthusiastic  with  the  rest.  Being  of  a  fiery  temperament,  he, 
in  great  haste,  telegraphed  to  Senor  Sagasta,  the  Spanish  Min¬ 
ister  of  State  at  Madrid,  for  instructions.  Sagasta  and  Prim 
flew  to  Mr.  Layard,  the  English  representative  in  Madrid,  and 
asked  him  to  telegraph  to  England,  to  find  out  what  the  Cabi¬ 
net  of  St.  James  was  to  do.  Mr.  Layard  telegraphed.  Lord 
Granville  replied  :  “  Lord  Lyotis  has  instructions  to  continue 
officious  relations ,  and  not  to  show  any  official  recognition."  As 
soon  as  Mr.  Layard  showed  this  reply  to  Seiior  Sagasta,  the 
latter  telegraphed  to  Senor  Olozaga,  in  Paris,  as  follows  : 
“  Maintain  '  officious  ’  relations.  Follow  the  conduct  ob¬ 
served  by  Lord  Lyons." 

THE  TELEGRAPH  BLUNDERS  AGAIN. 

When  this  telegram  (a  cipher  despatch)  reached  Senor  Olo¬ 
zaga  in  Paris,  the  ‘•‘•officious"  was  changed  to  '■'•official."  Sen¬ 
or  Olozaga  was  delighted,  and,  thinking  he  was  obeying  in¬ 
structions,  immediately  drew  up  this  hasty  letter  of  recognition 
to  Jules  Favre  : 

Paris,  September  8. — Monsieur  le  Ministre  :  On  the  night  of  the  6th  I  received 
your  Excellency’s  circular  of  the  5th  ;  I  hastened  to  communicate  it  on  the  7th  by  post  to 
my  Government,  giving  them  also  an  account  of  it  by  telegraph.  Before  I  received  your 
circular  the  Minister  of  State  in  Madrid  had  sent  me  the  necessary  telegraphic  instruc¬ 
tions  to  enter  immediately  into  official  relations  with  your  Excellency,  and  he  manifested 
his  desire  to  maintain  the  good  relations  which  fortunately  exist  between  Spain  and 
France.  I  believe  it  unnecessary  to  add,  that  all  my  efforts  will,  as  ever,  be  employed  that 
these  relations  may  be  strengthened  more  and  more,  to  the  prosperity  and  advantage  of 
both  nations.  Yours,  &c.  Salustiano  Olozaga. 

Jules  Favre  replied  as  follows  : 

Senor  Embassador  :  With  lively  satisfaction  I  have  received  the  letter  you  did  me  the 
honor  to  write  me,  announcing  that  the  Minister  of  State  of  Spain  had  sent  you  by  tele¬ 
graph  the  instructions  necessary  for  you  to  enter  upon  official  relations  with  the  Govern¬ 
ment  of  the  National  Defence.  Very  precious  is  it  tome  to  receive  such  a  testimony  of 
friendship  and  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  representative  of  a  country  which  has  so  re¬ 
cently  taught  us  the  road  to  liberty.  By  it  I  hope  we  shall  jointly  advance,  and  become 
closely  united  by  community  of  interests  and  of  hopes.  This  hour,  so  cruel  for  France,  is 
precisely  the  time  when  with  the  greater  evidence  there  is  revealed  the  prudence  of  a  policy 
which  unites  in  one  common  bond  three  veritably  sister  peoples,  who,  to  recover  their  fam¬ 
ily  titles,  only  waited  the  signal  of  liberty.  Permit  me,  Seiior  Embassador,  to  offer  you, 
both  in  my  own  name  and  in  that  of  the  individuals  of  this  Government,  the  expression 
of  my  high  consideration,  and  of  my  complete  affection.  Yours,  &c. 

Jules  Favre,  Vice-President 
of  the  Government,  and  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 


THURSDAY ,  SEPTEMBER  8. 


285 


PARIS  AFFAIRS. 

Princes  Joinville,  d’Aumale  and  Chartres  were  in  Paris. 
They  called  on  Minister  Favre,  and  asked  to  share  in  the  de¬ 
fence  of  Paris.  M.  Favre  told  them  their  presence  might  be 
misunderstood,  and  appealing  to  their  patriotism,  requested 
them  to  leave  the  city,  which  the  Princes  consented  to  do,  and 
they  have  since  fulfilled  their  promise. 

ELECTION  PROCLAMATION. 

Frenchmen  :  In  proclaiming  four  days  ago  the  Government  of  the  National  Defence, 
we  ourselves  defined  our  mission.  Power  was  lying  in  the  dust.  What  had  commenced 
by  a  crime  finished  by  a  desertion.  We  simply  grasped  the  helm  which  had  escaped  from 
powerless  hands.  But  Europe  has  need  to  be  enlightened.  It  is  necessary  that  she 
should  know  by  irrefragable  testimonies  that  the  entire  country  is  with  us.  It  is  necessary 
that  the  invader  should  meet  on  his  route,  not  only  the  obstacle  of  an  immense  city  re¬ 
solved  to  perish  rather  than  yield,  but  an  entire  people,  erect,  organized,  represented — an 
Assembly,  in  short,  which  can  carry  into  all  places,  and  in  spite  of  all  disasters,  the  living 
soul  of  the  country. 

Consequently,  the  Government  of  the  National  Defence  decrees  : 

Art.  i.  The  electoral  colleges  are  convoked  for  Sunday,  the  16th  of  October,  for  the 
purpose  of  electing  a  National  Constituent  Assembly. 

Art.  2.  The  elections  will  be  held  by  collective  voting,  conformably  to  the  law  of  the 
15th  of  March,  1849. 

Art.  3.  The  number  of  members  of  the  Constituent  Assembly  will  be  750. 

Art.  4.  The  Minister  of  the  Interior  is  charged  with  the  execution  of  this  decree. 

Given  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville  of  Paris,  Sept.  8,  1870. 

General  Trochu. 

Emmanuel  Arago. 

Cremieux. 

Jules  Favre. 

Jules  Ferry. 

Gambetta. 

Garnier-Pages. 

Glais-Bizoin. 

Pelletan. 

E.  Picard. 

Rochefort. 

Jules  Simon. 

The  Minister  of  War,  General  Leflo. 

The  Interim  Minister  of  Marine  and 
the  Colonies,  Rear-Admiral  De  Dom- 

PIERRE  d’HORNOY. 

The  Minister  of  Agriculture  and  Com¬ 
merce,  M.  Magnin,  ex-Deputy. 

The  Minister  of  Public  Works,  M.  Do¬ 
rian. 

PROCLAMATION  NO.  TWO. 

The  Minister  of  the  Interior  has  issued  the  following  circu¬ 
lar  to  Prefects  of  Departments  : 

The  enemy  is  advancing  on  Paris  in  three  corps  d’arm6e,  one  of  which  has  arrived  at 
Soissons,  in  the  Department  of  Aisne.  The  advance  guard  of  this  corps  has  summoned 
Laon,  which  shuts  its  gates  and  resists. 

The  interruption  of  telegraphic  communication  with  Epernay  and  Chateau  Thierry  indi¬ 
cates  the  presence  of  the  enemy  at  those  points.  Communication  continues  with  M6zi- 
£res,  Epinal,  and  Mulhouse.  There  is  no  news  from  Bazaine.  The  news  of  the  death  of 
MacMahon  has  not  been  officially  confirmed.  At  Paris,  order  is  perfect.  The  inhabitants 
received  with  warm  demonstrations  of  confidence  the  assurances  given  by  the  Government 
that  the  city  is  abundantly  provisioned  for  two  months. 

The  Prefect  of  the  Rhone  sends  word  that  harmony  has  been  established  between  him¬ 
self  and  the  Committee  which  took  the  direction  of  affairs,  and  order  prevails.  M.  Es- 
quiros  has  arrived  at  Marseilles,  where  he  is  received  with  enthusiasm  by  the  citizens. 


286 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AH  WAR. 


The  work  of  revision  is  actively  going  on  in  all  the  Departments.  The  Garde  Mobile 
everywhere  asks  to  be  led  to  Paris.  Many  battalions  are  now  here  or  on  the  march  hither. 

Gambetta. 


GENERAL  SHERIDAN 


writes  from  Rheims  as  follows  : 

There  seems  to  be  but  little  of  the  war  left  except  the  siege  of  Paris, 
and  that  will  not  save  France.  It  is  possible  that  French  troops  have  not 
done  so  well  as  I  think  they  are  capable  of  doing,  on  one  or  two  occasions 
which  I  witnessed,  from  the  fact  that  the  poor  fellows  found  themselves  so 
badly  handled  by  their  commanders,  that  they  could  see  no  equivalent  to  be 
obtained  by  sacrificing  their  lives.  All  nien  like  to  have  an  equivalent  for 
their  labor,  and  especially  is  it  so  with  soldiers,  who  require  success  where 
many  lives  are  to  be  sacrificed.  The  French  generalship  put  this  out  of 
the  question  in  every  battle  which  I  have  witnessed. 


THE  FRENCH  NAVY. 

THE  SQUADRON, 

hitherto,  has  done  nothing  but  blockade  the  coasts,  a  task  involving  num¬ 
berless  difficulties.  The  plan  of  the  campaign  has  not  proved  wise  ;  the 
French  chiefs  either  failed  to  define  their  intention  clearly  or  to  understand 
the  nature  of  the  sea  where  the  fleet  was  to  operate. 

The  fleet  has  no  base  of  operations  ;  no  port  of  anchorage,  except  by  retiring  to  neutral 
waters.  Not  having  seized,  as  it  might  have,  some  small  undefended  islands  ofF  the 
coast  of  Schleswig,  the  squadron,  in  fact,  never  anchors,  and  is  subject  to  continued  sur¬ 
prises  in  the  night  from  Prussian  gunboats,  which,  coming  out  of  harbors  known  only  to 
themselves,  appear  amid  French  vessels  either  to  reconnoitre  or  to  blow  them  up  with  tor¬ 
pedoes,  as  nearly  happened  in  the  roadstead  of  Dantzic,  when  Admiral  Bouet  anchored 
under  the  very  guns  of  the  Fort. 

The  Prussian  vessels  being  small  and  swift,  risk  little,  but  if  successful  might  destroy  a 
French  vessel.  The  squadron  can  only  take  in  coal  on  an  open  sea,  and  in  circumstances 
of  danger.  A  want  is  felt  of  suitable  vessels  for  blockading  purposes  ;  ironclads  are  too 
slow,  and  of  too  great  draft.  Cruising  proves  most  difficult  and  perilous. 

Admiral  Bouet  has  separated  the  squadron  into  two  divisions.  With  the  first  he  block¬ 
ades  the  shore  from  the  Russian  frontier  to  Rugen  ;  the  second,  under  Admiral  Dieu- 
donn6,  watches  the  coast  from  Rugen  to  North  Schleswig.  There  has  been  no  important 
encounter  hitherto  with  the  Prussian  fleet.  Two  vessels,  the  Ocean  and  the  Flandre ,  are 
about  returning  to  France. 

The  news  of  MacMahon’s  and  the  Emperor’s  surrender  is  just  received.  The  latter 
causes  little  grief,  for  the  fleet  is  not  Bonapartist.  After  such  events  the  squadron  must 
remain  inactive  ;  but  if  the  new  Government  resolves  to  continue  the  struggle,  it  will  wage 
pitiless  war  on  the  German  coast. 

Friday,  September  9. — The  siege  of  Strasburg  is  made  a 
scientific  school  for  Prussian  engineers.  Houses  in  the  “mili¬ 
tary  zone  ”  of  Paris  to  be  destroyed.  George  Sand  and  Victor 
Hugo  address  the  Republic.  Prussians  advance  on  Paris. 

PARIS. 

The  inhabitants  of  all  houses  within  the  “  military  zone  ”  are 
ordered  to  quit  their  habitations  forthwith,  as  the  houses  are 
now  to  be  pulled  down.  The  Prefect  of  Police  orders  all  per¬ 
sons  intending  to  leave  Paris  to  go  immediately. 


LA  ON,  SEPTEMBER  io. 


2S7 


VICTOR  HUGO 

writes  to-day  — 

“You  may  take  the  fortress,  you  will  find  the  rampart.  You  may  take  the  rampart, 
you  will  find  the  barricade.  You  may  take  the  barricade,  and  then  —  who  knows  the 
resources  of  patriotism  in  distress  —  you  will  find  the  sewers  mines  of  powder,  ready  to 
blow  whole  streets  into  the  air.  This  will  be  the  terrible  sentence  you  must  accept :  To 
take  Paris  stone  by  stone,  to  slaughter  Europe  on  the  spot,  to  kill  France  in  detail  :  in 
each  street,  in  each  house  that  great  light  must  be  extinguished  soul  by  soul  !  Germans, 
hold  back  !  Paris  is  formidable.  Think  awhile  before  her  walls.  All  transformations  are 
possible  for  her.  Her  indolence  gives  you  the  measure  of  her  energy.  She  seems  to 
sleep.  She  will  awaken.  Her  thought  will  leap  from  its  scabbard  li'ke  a  sword  ;  and  this 
city,  which  yesterday  was  Sybaris,  to-morrow  may  be  Saragossa.” 

GEORGE  SAND 

salutes  the  new  regime  in  the  following  words  : 

“The  Republic  !  She  must  have  life  in  her,  since  she  rises  again  from  her  ashes  by  the 
voice  of  all,  by  a  will  of  which  she  is  worthy,  without  the  spilling  of  blood,  without  fratri¬ 
cidal  strife.  Behold  the  third  awakening:  it  is  ideally  beautiful!  The  third?  say 
rather  the  fourth  ;  for  we  must  not  forget  that  1830  was  republican  at  the  beginning.  We 
have  fought  for  her  only  to  lose  her.  To-day  she  rises  complete  with  a  single  word  — Vive 
la  Fratice.  This,  then,  is  the  normal  state  which  the  conscience  of  humanity  desires. 
This  is  the  inevitable  end  of  the  prodigious  toil  of  humanity.  It  is  well.  It  is  the  law  of 
intelligence.  The  manliness  of  man  can  only  develop  in  the  air  of  freedom.  Behold  the 
God  of  armies  !  His  name  is  country  and  liberty.  Hail  to  the  Republic  !  Thou  art  in 
good  hands,  and  a  great  people  is  now  marching  under  thy  banner  after  a  bloody  expia¬ 
tion.  Thy  task  is  hard.  But  should  it  happen  to  thee  to  fall  once  more,  thou  wilt  surely 
rise  again.  The  rights  of  man  are  imperishable.” 

STRASBURG  SCHOOL. 

The  operations  against  Strasburg  are  carried  on  Dy  a  slow 
but  sure  rule.  Gen.  Loewensky  (Gen.  Von  Woerder’s  chief 
of  staff)  recently  said :  “  We  do  not  mean  to  press  the  siege 
in  an  irregular  way.  It  is  a  grand  study  for  our  scientific  en¬ 
gineers,  though  a  trifle  stupid  to  those  who  do  not  understand 
the  refinements  of  the  science  of  war.”  He  expressed  the 
opinion  that  it  was  a  mathematical  certainty  that  the  place 
would  fall  about  the  24th  inst.  (It  fell  on  the  27th.) 

Gen.  Ulirich,  the  heroic  commandant  of  Strasburg,  telegraphs 
to  the  Ministry  as  follows  : 

Strasburg,  Friday,  September  9. — Affairs  are  in  a  deplorable  con¬ 
dition,  and  are  growing  worse.  The  bombardment  from  the  Prussian  ad¬ 
vanced  works  is  incessant  and  frightful.  I  hold  out  to  the  end. 

Uhrich,  . 

the  commandant  of  the  City  of  Strasburg. 

Saturday,  September  10.  —  Laon  surrenders.  The  citadel 
blows  up,  killing  fifty  Prussians,  300  Gardes  Mobile,  and  the 
Duke  William  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin.  The  Emperor  talks 
with  the  children  at  Wilhelmshohe.  Fr6re  Hyacinthe  thanks 
Minister  Washburne. 

SURRENDER  OF  LAON. 

Duke  William  of  Mecklenburg’s  official  report  says  the 


2S8 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  IVAR. 


capitulation  of  Laon  took  place  on  the  basis  of  that  of  Sedan 
Arms  to  be  laid  down,  the  Gardes  Mobile  to  be  discharged  on 
parole,  and  the  line  infantry  to  go  under  escort  to  the  city. 
Many  officers,  including  the  French  commander,  remained  in 
the  yard  of  the  citadel.  When  the  last  man  had  passed  the 
citadel  gate,  two  powerful  detonations  were  heard  in  quick  suc¬ 
cession.  The  powder  magazine,  shells,  cartridges,  and  mine, 
exploded,  and  all  in  the  yard  were  buried  under  the  ruins. 
There  was  fearful  destruction,  and  the  losses  cannot  be  ascer¬ 
tained. 

THE  EXPLOSION. 

To  the  Queen:  Rheims,  September  ir,  ro  p.m. 

Sad  news  from  Laon,  where,  after  the  capitulation  and  the  entry  of  our 
troops,  the  citadel  blew  up.  Fifty  of  our  men  and  300  of  the  Gardes 
Mobiles  were  killed,  and  many  wounded. 

The  Duke  William  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin  is  among  the  latter. 

“  Unquestionably  the  disaster  is  to  be  attributed  to  treachery.” 

THE  EMPEROR. 

The  Emperor  at  Wilhelmshohe  enjoys  entire  freedom  of 
action  ;  walks  or  rides  as  he  pleases.  His  chief  companions 
are  Prince  Moskowa  and  Prince  Murat.  He  disregards  the 
stare  of  the  curious  people  whom  he  encounters  outside  of  the 
gates.  It  is  said  he  looks  thirty  years  older  than  he  did 
in  1865,  when  the  writer  saw  him.  He  is  now  bloated,  bilious, 
and  yellow.  His  eyes  are  faint,  tired,  and  expressionless ;  his 
movements  are  slow,  awkward,  and  mechanical,  and  his  face 
absolutely  devoid  of  expression.  “Apathy”  describes  his 
appearance  in  one  word.  He  retires  late  and  rises  early. 

His  chamber  windows  are  lighted  till  long  after  midnight,  and  at  half¬ 
past  four  in  the  morning  the  Emperor  is  seen  walking  in  the  garden.  He 
dresses  plainly  in  black,  and  amuses  himself  a  great  deal  by  talking  to  the 
school  children,  who  gather  around  to  see  him. 

retired  to  private  life. 

In  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  Napoleon  III.  has  retired  into  private 
life  ;  he  keeps  his  hours  of  rising,  lunching,  dining,  walking,  and  sleeping 
as  regularly  as  an  old  pensioner  at  Greenwich.  The  day  after  his  arrival 
he  was  seen  walking  as  early  as  half-past  seven,  and  ever  since  he  has  stuck 
to  this  customary  walk  on  the  gravel  paths  of  the  beautiful  park. 

noble  guests. 

At  twelve  o’clock  to-day  there  arrived  and  drove  up  to  the  palace  the 
Duchess  of  Hamilton,  who,  having  taken  up  her  abode  at  the  Grande  Ho¬ 
tel  Schombardt,  called  on  her  imprisoned  cousin.  She  stayed  in  the  palace 
for  quite  an  hour,  when  she  was  conducted  back  to  her  carriage  by  the 
Emperor  himself.  On  her  driving  off,  Napoleon  uncovered  his  head,  ap¬ 
parently  in  some  emotion. 


THE  EMPEROR ,  SEPTEMBER  io. 


2S9 


AT  DINNER. 

At  the  Emperor’s  dinner  table  there  are  assembled  about  twenty  persons, 
usually  including  the  Governor  of  Cassel,  Graf  Monts.  What  feelings 
must  besiege  the  heart  of  this  brave  and  gallant  soldier,  who  only  a  short 
time  ago  was  decorated  for  his  fifty  years’  service,  when  he  is  dining  on 
the  right  of  that  man  whose  policy  has  demanded  the  life  of  his  only  son. 

HE  WALKS  OUT. 

The  Emperor  was,  as  usual,  in  his  undress  uniform  —  a  black  coat,  red 
trousers  with  black  strips,  and  the  red  cap  of  a  General,  wearing  on  his 
breast  the  grand  cordon  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  four  other  orders.  He 
walked  quite  slowly,  his  step  not  reminding  one  in  any  way  of  that  firmness 
exhibited  on  the  evening  of  his  arrival.  His  hands  were  folded  on  his  back, 
and  remained  so  until  he  returned  to  the  palace,  half  an  hour  after  his  exit. 
It  ought  to  be  remarked  that  Dr.  Conneau  did  not  leave  his  side,  though 
there  was  a  continual  change  of  the  Generals  on  the  other  side. 

AN  EMPEROR  STILL. 

Beautiful  Wilhelmshohe  !  Sixty-six  years  ago,  Napoleon’s  gay  Uncle 
Jerome  revelled  in  noisy  festivities  in  this  beautiful  chateau.  Did  he  not 
astonish  the  ancient  inhabitants  by  superseding  its  ancient  name,  and  calling 
it  Napoleonshohe  ? 

There  is  a  warm  glow  inside  the  splendid  hall.  Generals  and  gentlemen 
of  the  royal  household  are  standing  ready  to  do  the  honors  of  the  occasion. 
They  bow  low,  and  are  the  most  obedient  servants  of  His  Majesty.  They 
conduct  His  Majesty  upstairs  with  the  deference  due  to  a  Sovereign.  They 
take  the  commands  of  His  Majesty,  and  will  be  happy  to  execute  them. 
Meanwhile  attendants  are  bustling  about  outside,  and  everything  is  in 
gala.  Napoleon  is  received  as  a  guest,  not  as  a  prisoner,  by  his  generous 
host.  The  entire  palace  is  placed  at  his  disposal.  A  numerous  suite  of 
some  forty  persons,  with  a  large  retinue  of  servants,  have  followed  him, 
and  will  be  likewise  entertained  by  the  King.  He  has  brought  eighty-five 
horses  and  a  variety  of  carriages  —  greater,  almost,  than  can  be  stored  in 
the  mews  of  the  princely  mansion.  Royal  valets  de  chambre  and  chefs  de 
cuisine  have  been  sent  down,  and  everything  will  be  done  to  render  his 
stay  as  pleasant  as  possible.  The  movements  of  the  Emperor  are  appar¬ 
ently  without  restraint,  and  if  he  chose  he  might  drive  about  in  the 
grounds,  see  company  in  the  evening,  and  close  the  day  with  a  visit  to  His 
Majesty’s  Opera  at  Cassel.  Such  is  the  aspect  royal  imprisonment  as¬ 
sumes  in  the  courtesy  of  the  present  age.  Times  have  changed  since  Mary 
was  locked  up  by  Elizabeth,  or,  to  quote  a  more  analogous  case,  since  the 
youthful  King  of  France  was  captured  by  the  German  Emperor  Charles 
V.,  on  the  battle-field  of  Pavia. 

LOVELY  SURROUNDINGS. 

Beside  the  chateau  stands  the  theatre  built  by  Jerome  Bonaparte  when 
King,  and  in  which  he  himself  used  to  act.  Just  behind  it  is  the  highest 
fountain  in  Europe  (except  that  at  Chatsworth),  which  throws  up  its  fairy 
spray  twelve  inches  in  diameter  and  180  feet  high. 

Farther  up  is  an  artificial  waterfall,  descending  from  a  tall  aqueduct  over 
beds  of  stone  arranged  in  exquisite  taste,  and  on  Sundays  and  Wednesdays, 
when  the  waters  play,  great  crowds  flock  to  see  them. 

The  Aquatic  Staircase  and  the  Octagon  Temple  of  the  Winds,  with  the 
Statue  and  other  extravagances  connected  with  it,  are  reported  to  have 
13 


290 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


employed  2000  men  for  fourteen  years.  When  tlieir  labors  were  com¬ 
pleted,  the  cost  was  found  to  be  so  enormous  that  the  accounts  were 
burned,  to  destroy  all  records  of  it. 

The  Cascade  of  the  Karlsburg,  is  another  of  the  many  wonders  of  the 
place  —  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  goo  feet  long,  over  which  a  stream  of  water 
is  at  times  permitted  to  fall.  Half  way  up  the  stairs  is  the  Giant 
Euceladus,  rudely  represented  lying  on  his  back,  with  a  mountain  of  rocks 
heaped  upon  his  breast.  The  artist  intended  a  jet  of  water  fifty  feet 
high  should  spout  from  his  mouth,  but  none  plays  there  now.  The  stair¬ 
case  of  this  “Chateau  d’Eau”  is  surmounted  by  an  octagon  building 
1312  feet  above  the  Fulda,  surmounted  by  a  pyramid  serving  as  a  pedes¬ 
tal  to  the  colossal  Hercules,  thirty-one  feet  high,  of  beaten  copper. 
Nine  persons,  it  is  said,  can  stand  at  one  time  in  the  hollow  of  the  club, 
and  enjoy  a  charming  view  out  of  a  little  window  formed  in  it. 

IN  THE  MIDST  OF  THE  PARK 

is  a  toy  castle  —  “Luxemburg” — built  to  imitate  a  stronghold  of  the 
middle  ages,  with  draw-bridges,  battlements,  towers,  and  ditches.  Among 
the  rusty  suits  in  the  armory  is  one  which  belonged  to  the  great  Conde. 
There  is  also  a  very  curious  collection  of  drinking-glasses,  a  series  of  por¬ 
traits  of  the  Tudors  and  Stewarts,  and  a  library  filled  with  romances  alone. 

FRERE  (LATE  PERE)  HYACINTHE  TO  MINISTER  WASHBURNE. 

Sir  :  Detained  in  the  country  for  more  than  a  month  by  the  state  of  my  health,  which 
has  suffered  so  many  and  cruel  ordeals,  I  much  regret  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to 
grasp  the  hand  that  has  just  written  a  letter  so  noble  and  sympathetic  toward  my 
country. 

That  letter  is  a  page  in  the  history  of  liberty  in  the  two  worlds.  It  revives  the  recol¬ 
lections  of  Washington  and  Lafayette,  and  proves  that  if  despotism  had  succeeded  in 
dividing  two  governments,  liberty  had  not  delayed  an  instant  to  unite  two  peoples. 
Europe,  where  the  blood  of  our  defeated  heroes  has  flowed,  is  still  silent,  but  America, 
despite  the  ocean  which  separates  us,  has  made  her  voice  heard.  She  affirms  that 
neither  distance  nor  diversity  of  race  will  make  strangers  of  nations  which  have  the  same 
soul,  and  that  she  demands  for  her  young  sister  that  right  which  it  appertains  to  her  to 
define,  because  she  was  the  first  to  know  how  to  practise  it  —  the  inalienable  right  to  live 
toiling  for  the  happiness  of  all. 

I  am  happy  that  such  sentiments  have  found  their  official  interpreter  in  one  whom  I 
love  and  esteem  so  much,  and  I  pray  you  to  accept  with  the  expression  of  my  patriotic 
gratitude  the  homage  of  my  respectful  and  deep  attachment. 

Bouliac,  September  10,  1870.  Hyacinthe. 


METZ. 

Prince  Frederick  Charles,  who  fired  a  salute  of  101  guns  of  shot  and 
shell  upon  it  on  Saturday  last,  the  10th  of  September,  in  honor  of  the 
victory  gained  by  the  Prussians  at  Sedan,  has  commenced  the  work  of 
destruction.  The  whole  of  the  troops  now  around  Metz,  amounting  to 
nearly  200,000  men,  are  under  the  entire  command  of  Prince  Frederick 
Charles,  Steinmetz  having  been  relieved  from  the  command  of  the  First 
Army,  (First,  Seventh,  and  Eighth  Corps).  They  have  at  present  no  large 
siege  guns  at  Metz,  they  being  all  employed  at  Strasburg.  The  heaviest 
guns  used  there  at  present  are  twelve-pounders.  Bazaine  is  now  thoroughly 
hemmed  in  in  his  fortress,  the  Prussians  having  entirely  surrounded  it,  and 
opened  rifle-pits.  Two  days  ago  Bazaine  sent  out  of  Metz  all  Prussian 
prisoners  that  he  had  captured,  and  also  all  the  wounded. 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  io. 


291 


Sunday,  September  1 1 . — The  Prussian  army  advances. 
Destruction  of  bridges  by  the  French. 

PRUSSIAN  ARMY. 

The  Eastern  Railway  is  still  open  to  Nogelet,  but  the  Prus¬ 
sians  are  at  Chateau-Thierry,  advancing  on  La  Ferte  sous 
Jouarre.  The  rolling  stock  of  the  road  is  withdrawn  as  the 
Prussians  advance,  and  the  bridges  and  culverts  are  destroyed 
before  the  track  is  abandoned.  The  Prussian  scouts  are  re¬ 
ported  at  Villiers,  Acron,  Verneuil,  Chatillon,  Montmesnil, 
Vailly-sur-Aisne,  Sezanne,  and  Lehauny.  They  maintain  strict 
discipline,  and  commit  no  depredations.  The  Prussian  force 
was  at  Compiegne  on  Saturday. 

BISMARCK  HAS  SAID 

that  he  will  have  such  a  tremendous  force  in  France  as  will 
crush  resistance,  and  especially  prevent  everywhere  the  organi¬ 
zation  of  new  forces.  But  for  the  national  clamor  for  Alsace 
and  Lorraine,  it  is  certain  that  Bismarck  would  be  content  with 
Metz  and  Strasburg  as  national  fortresses. 

THE  DUKE  OF  MECKLENBURG, 

with  the  Seventh  Division  of  the  First  and  a  division  of  the 
Ninth  Corps,  heretofore  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  and  two  divis¬ 
ions  of  reserves  and  landwehr,  constituting  the  (Sixth)  army 
lately  formed  at  Homburg  in  the  Palatinate,  is  on  the  way  to 
invest  Toul  and  Soissons. 

Monday,  September  12. — demonstration  in  Marseilles  in 
favor  of  the  United  States.  Count  Bismarck  proposes  to  rec¬ 
ognize  any  de  jure  government  in  France.  Russia  and  Austria 
reject  overtures  in  favor  of  the  Republic. 

HONOR  TO  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

An  imposing  demonstration  was  made  in  Marseilles  in  honor 
of  the  United  States.  Twenty  thousand  people  assembled  in 
front  of  the  American  consulate,  and  the  city  authorities, 
through  M.  Esquiros,  presented  an  address  to  Milton  M.  Price, 
the  consul  of  the  United  States.  Speeches  were  made,  the 
bands  played  the  national  airs  of  America  and  France,  and  the- 
immense  crowd  cheered  with  great  enthusiasm  the  consul  and 
the  Government  of  the  United  States. 


292 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


THE  UHLANS  ARRIVE. 

The  uhlans  are  at  Nogent-sur-Marne,  only  five  miles  east  of  the  city. 
Orders  have  been  given  by  the  German  commanders  forbidding  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  bridges  behind  the  army,  under  dire  penalties. 

A  large  body  of  Prussian  engineers  is  at  Champigny,  a  few  miles  east  of 
Paris.  The  German  cuirassiers  are  still  before  Soissons.  Twenty-five 
hundred  Bavarians  are  at  Vaucoulleurs. 

The  bridges  at  Corbeil  and  Creil  were  blown  up  by  the  French  troops 
on  the  approach  of  the  Prussians. 

Tuesday,  September  13.  —  France  desires  peace.  She  makes 
an  offer  through  England,  and  is  willing  to  dismantle  Metz  and 
Strasburg,  and  pay  Prussia  the  expenses  of  the  war.  Queen 
Victoria  hates  the  Republic,  and  instructs  Gladstone  to  tell 
Lyons  not  to  sho*v  the  slightest  recognition. 

FRANCE  FOR  PEACE. 

QUEEN  VICTORIA  OPPOSED  TO  THE  REPUBLIC. 

M.  Thiers  arrived  in  England  to-day.  He  looks  careworn 
and  ill,  and  shows  a  disinclination  to  conversation.  He  inti¬ 
mated  that  he  knew  no  Republic  —  only  the  Government  for  the 
defence  of  Paris.  Thiers  is  not  so  good  a  Republican  as  Favre, 
but  he  has  the  interest  of  France  at  heart.  M.  Thiers  has  the 
proposition  of  the  French  Government  to  make  peace  with 
Prussia,  and  asks  England’s  aid.  Queen  Victoria  hates  the  Re¬ 
public.  She  sees  in  it  the  germ  of  the  coming  power  which  is 
to  overrun  England.  “  How  sooti  may  not  a  Republic  be  de¬ 
clared  in  London,  if  we  recognize  this  o?ie  1  ”  she  has  said  to 
Gladstone.  She  has  told  Granville  to  tell  Lyons,  the  English 
ambassador  in  Paris,  not  to  dignify  the  Republic  by  the  slight¬ 
est  recognition.  Thus  do  the  crowned  heads  hope  to  destroy 
the  wedge  which  will  one  day  split  monarchy  and  make  a 
wreck  of  thrones.  Granville,  in  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  first 
felt  a  warm  feeling  for  the  new  Government,  but  now  he  is  as 
cold  as  ice.  Rumor  says  Gladstone  has  frozen  Motley  too. 

It  is  strange  how  soon  a  few  cold  English  dinners  will  freeze 
the  blood  of  a  weak  Republican.  Sumner  ought  to  be  in  Eng¬ 
land  now.  But  men  get  conservative  as.  they  get  old,  and  you 
will  see  Sumner  and  Wendell  Phillips  one  day  standing  in  Rev- 
erdy  Johnson’s  shoes.  How  warm  is  Washburne  to  that  Puri¬ 
tanical  aristocrat,  Motley ! 

FRANCE  OFFERS  FOR  PEACE, 
through  M.  Thiers,  as  follows  : 

“  Payment  to  Prussia  of  the  war  expenses;  destruction  of  all  the  forts  in 


MONDAY ,  SEPTEMBER  14. 


293 


Alsace  and  Lorraine  ;  temporary  occupation  of  Metz  and  Strasburg  by  the 
German  troops  until  the  election  of  an  authorized  Government  for  France, 
and  the  ratification  of  the  treaty  by  the  proper  authorities.” 

This  is  history :  France  asked  Granville  to  be  the  means 
of  communication  with  Prussia.  Granville  said  “Yes,  if  Glad¬ 
stone  will  let  me.”  The  Queen  and  Gladstone  said  “  No,"  em¬ 
phatically. 

Monday,  September  14.  —  It  is  officially  announced  in  Berlin 
that  the  French  Republic  is  a  government  de  facto  but  not  de 
jure.  The  advance  of  the  Prussian  army  reaches  Paris. 
French  territory  to  be  annexed  to  Germany. 


THE  REPUBLIC  NOT  DE  JURE. 

The  following  is  officially  announced  in  Berlin  to-day : 

“The  National  Defence  Government  in  Paris,  though  existing  de  facto , 
is  deemed  of  no  validity  de  jure,  and  cannot  and  will  not  be  treated  with 
when  Paris  is  taken.  The  Senate  and  Corps  Legislatif,  with  the  Regency 
—  the  Government  de  jure  —  can  and  will,  it  is  expected,  resume  their  ses¬ 
sions,  and  appoint  a  commission  to  accept  terms  of  peace,  and  the  Empress 
can  return.  When  peace  is  concluded,  Napoleon  will  be  released,  and 
France  be  left  free  to  have  an  empire  or  such  other  government  as  its  peo¬ 
ple  want.” 

FRENCH  TERRITORY  TO  BE  SEIZED. 

The  Prussian  Government  has  formally  notified  Bavaria  of  its  intention 
to  annex  to  Germany  a  portion  of  France  as  a  military  frontier. 

This  notification  calls  forth  the  opposition  of  many  distin¬ 
guished  German  Democrats.  Dr.  Jacobi,  of  Kbnigsberg,  has 
been  imprisoned  for  opposing  the  national  will  (Bismarck’s  ?). 
The  cry  of  France  begins  to  be,  “  not  one  stone  of  our  fortifi¬ 
cations,  not  one  inch  of  our  soil.” 

The  Frankfort  Gazette  is  publishing  a  series  of  articles  by  Herr  Carl 
Vogt,  the  great  German  naturalist,  against  the  annexation  of  Alsace 
and  Lorraine.  Herr  Vogt  protests  even  against  the  annexation  of  such 
places  as  Metz  and  Strasburg.  He  advocates  the  dismantling  of  all 
fortifications  between  Paris  and  Berlin,  if  it  be  necessary,  and  the  exaction 
of  a  pecuniary  indemnity  ;  but  he  implores  the  people  of  Germany  to  beware 
of  bringing  down  upon  their  country,  in  a  moment  of  thoughtless  military 
intoxication,  a  league  between  France,  Russia,  Italy,  and  Austria,  which 
must  end  by  obliterating  not  the  unity  only,  but  the  very  existence  of  the 
German  nationality. 

Tuesday,  September  15.  —  The  forests  about  Paris  fired  by 
the  French.  Gen.  Uhrich  telegraphs  despairingly  from  Stras- 


294 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSTAN  WAR. 


burg.  The  Crown  Prince  passing  to  the  south  of  Paris.  Prus¬ 
sians  within  sight  of  Paris. 

STRASBURG. 

Gen.  Uhrich  sends  this  telegram  to  the  Minister  of  War : 

“Situation  worse;  bombardment  without  intermission;  overwhelming 
( foudrogante )  artillery.  I  shall  hold  out  to  the  last.  How  could  I  cross 
the  Rhine  without  a  bridge  and  without  a  boat?  Abandon  this  impracti¬ 
cable  idea.  An  honorable  but  costly  sortie  this  morning,  and  with  no  re¬ 
sult  except  the  respect  forced  on  the  enemy.” 

FRANCE  BURNING. 

Paris,  September  15  {Evening). — For  miles  about  Paris 
the  country  is  on  fire,  burning  like  an  American  prairie. 
The  forests  of  Maisons,  Montmorency,  St.  Prix,  and  the  woods 
of  St.  Gratian,  all  in  flames.  Human  ingenuity  must  have  had 
a  hard  struggle  with  the  rain,  in  trying  to  set  the  trees  ablaze. 
But  as  science  in  our  time  is  pretty  nearly  sold  to  the  devil,  the 
tears  which  Heaven  Avept  are  of  no  avail  in  saving  the  sylvan 
beauties  of  the  environs  of  Paris. 

The  Prussians  were  to  make  their  appearance  around  Paris 
to-day,  and  this  is  the  fire  which  is  to  dart  its  flaming  tongue 
and  frighten  them  away.  Alas !  I  fear  the  damage  is  more 
to  France  than  to  Prussia.  The  flames  lick  up  many  a  pretty 
chateau,  and  the  begrimed  walls  of  many  an  elegant  villa  will 
be  seen  to-morrow. 

The  estimable  M.  de  Villemessant,  who  for  his  health’s  sake  now 
finds  it  expedient  to  remain  in  the  country,  and  M.  Emile  de  Girardin,  who 
was  thought  to  be  at  Florence  with  his  friends,  but  who  is  in  the  flesh  at 
Limoges  with  Ollivier  and  Plon  Plon,  must  inevitably  suffer  from  the  vast 
conflagration  to  the  north  of  Paris.  But  who  can  pity  them  if  their  sump¬ 
tuous  country-houses  are  licked  up  by  the  flames  this  moment  raging  round 
these  abodes  of  luxury  ?  They  were  the  foremost  men  in  supporting  the 
bands  organized  by  M.  Pietri  to  cry  a  Berlin  last  July. 

“  The  gods  first  make  mad  whom  they  would  destroy.” 

INTO  THE  CRUCIBLE  OF  FIRE, 

it  would  seem,  will  be  thrown  the  chateau  of  the  Princess  Mathilde.  The 
woods  and  copses  of  the  St.  Prix,  St.  Gratian,  and  Montmorency  have  been 
fired  by  means  of  petroleum  and  gas  tar,  which  it  would  have  been  danger¬ 
ous  to  have  in  a  city  that  in  a  few  days  may  be  exposed  to  the  terrific  fire 
of  a  bombardment.  Dealers  in  these  combustibles  received  notice  a  few 
days  back  that  they  must  surrender  to  the  Committee  of  National  Defence 
what  they  could  not  take  to  a  seaport  out  of  the  reach  of  Prussia. 

GRAVE-YARDS  BURNING. 

The  firing  of  that  part  of  Bondy  visible  from  Montmartre  at  eleven 
o’clock  last  night  was  a  still  more  awful  spectacle.  The  trees  were  per¬ 
fectly  dry,  so  that  oil  and  petroleum,  which  were  spilt  about  in  the  brush¬ 
wood,  had  no  obstacle  to  contend  with.  Isolated  columns  of  flame  and 


FRIDAY,  SEPTEMBER  16. 


295 


clouds  of  smoke  suddenly  rose,  and,  before  half  an  hour,  were  lost  in  one 
general  blaze,  which  stood  out  like  a  fiery  wall  against  the  sky.  In  the 
light  of  this  vast  furnace,  hideous  objects  were  last  night  rendered  visible  on 
the  Martyrs’  Hill  —  yawning  graves,  dug  to  hold  three  or  four  hundred  per¬ 
sons,  reminded  the  lookers-on  of  the  impending  destruction  of  human  life. 

LOOKING  FOR  THE  ENEMY. 

Paris,  September  14.  —  Every  hour  the  Prussians  are  ex¬ 
pected  to  come  within  gun-shot  of  the  forts.  If  we  are  to  judge 
from  appearances,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  200,000  National 
Guards  and  Gardes  Mobile,  reviewed  yesterday  by  Gen.  Trochu, 
indicates  a  determination  on  the  part  of  these  civic  legions  to 
defend  the  city  resolutely.  The  line  extended  from  the  Place 
de  la  Bastille  to  the  Triumphal  Arch.  The  French  engineers 
have  destroyed  the  bridge  at  Creil  —  an  hour’s  distance  from 
Paris  by  ordinary  train  —  and  since  late  last  night,  direct  com¬ 
munication  with  England  by  the  Northern  line  has  been 
stopped. 

THE  ENEMY  IN  SIGHT. 

Paris  ( Evening ).  —  About  600  Prussians  appear  at  Cla- 
mart  (five  miles  south-west  of  Paris),  within  gunshot  of  the  fort 
of  Vanvres.  (See  map  p.  340.) 

THEY  CREEP - THE  STEALTHY  RABBITS - 

under  cover  of  the  woods  on  the  heights.  These  woods  join 
those  of  Versailles  by  those  of  Meudon,  Sevres,  and  Viroilay, 
and  were  too  green  to  be  more  than  imperfectly  burned.  The 
advanced  guard  also  signals  Prussians  at  Creteil,  within  shot  of 
the  fort  of  Charonne,  and  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Charenton. 
Barricades  were  erected  by  the  Mobiles  there.  The  popula¬ 
tion  is  gone. 

Friday,  September  16. — Count  Bismarck  replies  to  Jules 
Favre’s  circular  to  the  crowned  heads.  He  declines  to  “mix 
in  the  internal  affairs  of  France,”  but  says,  “  Prussia  will  demand 
the  price  of  her  mighty  effort.”  Russia  declines  further  media¬ 
tion.  French  strength  in  Paris,  268,000  :  Prussian,  350,000. 

PARIS  FORTS,  GUNS,  AND  MEN. 

The  forts  around  Paris  contain  the  following  number  of  guns : 

Vincennes . 118 

Mont  Val6rien .  7P 

Aubervilliers .  66 

St.  Denis .  99 

BicStre .  60 

Issy .  64 


29G 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Ivry . 

Nogent. .... 
Romainville. 

Rosny . 

Vanvres . 

Noisy-le-Sec. 
Montrouge. . 


70 

55 

49 


56 


45 

57 

43 


Total . . . 861 

In  this  estimate  neither  the  guns  of  the  enceinte  (interior)  nor  of  the 
redoubts  of  Joinville  and  Lagavelle  are  included.  Heavy  guns,  having  a 
range  of  five  miles,  have  been  placed  in  position  on  the  heights  of  Mont¬ 
martre.  General  Trochu  has  made  good  use  of  the  short  time  he  has  been 
in  power  in  the  way  of  improving  the  fortifications  of  Paris.  Every  com¬ 
manding  spot  in  the  environs  has  been  crowned  by  a  redoubt,  all  the  ground 
near  being  cleared  so  as  to  give  full  play  to  the  artillery  of  the  defenders. 
A  redoubt  has  been  erected  on  the  hill  of  Courbevoie,  on  the  west  of  Paris. 
The  strength  of  the  enceinte  has  been  much  increased. 

IMPREGNABILITY. 

Large  earthen  demilunes  have  been  erected  outside  each  gate,  and  the 
covered  way  has  been  rendered  a  formidable  impediment  by  means  of  pallis- 
ades.  At  the  foot  of  the  glacis  is  a  road  made  of  planks  studded  with  nails 
three  inches  high.  Beyond  these  again  are  three  rows  of  wires  two  feet 
from  the  ground  and  three  feet  apart.  These  successive  obstacles,  which 
cannot  be  easily  destroyed  from  a  distance,  will  render  it  impossible  to 
attempt  an  assault  until  at  least  the  foot  of  the  glacis  has  been  reached  by 
regular  approaches.  A  second  line  of  fortifications  following  the  course  of 
the  circular  railway  is  in  course  of  construction. 

NUMBER  OF  MEN. 

The  number  of  men  under  arms,  within  the  line  of  the  forts  at  Paris,  on 
the  1 6th  ult.,  is  estimated  as  follows  by  the  French: 


Regular  soldiers .  80,000 

Sailors  and  marines . 20,000 

Douaniers  and  gendarmes . 20,000 

National  Guards  —  including  the 

New  battalions . 120,000 

Parisian  Gardes  Mobile .  18,000 

Provincial  Mobiles . 180,000 


Total . 438,000 

To  estimate  the  effective  force,  throw  out  as  useless  10,000  sailors  and 
marines,  10,000  gendarmes,  80,000  new  battalion  guards,  10,000  Pari¬ 
sian  Gardes  Mobiles,  and  60,000  provincial  Mobiles,  and  we  have  268,000 
men,  which  is  about  the  fighting  force.  If  the  French  have  438,000  men, 
why  not  march  out  and  attack  the  Prussians,  who  have  only  350,000  men  ? 


BISMARCK’S  CIRCULAR. 

Count  Von  Bismarck  to-day  sends  this  circular  letter  to  Ger- 
m'an  representatives  abroad,  in  reply  to  M.  Jules  Favre’s  circular 
of  the  sixth.  (See  p.  278.) 

Meaux,  Friday,  September  16,  1870. —  Your  Excellency  is 
familiar  with  the  circular  which  M.  Jules  Favre  has  addressed 
to  the  foreign  representatives  of  France  in  the  name  of  the  men 


FRIDAY ,  SEPTEMBER  16. 


297 


at  present  holding  power  in  Paris,  and  who  call  themselves  “  Le 
Gouvernement  de  la  Defense  Nationale.” 

I  have  learned  simultaneously  that  M.  Thiers  has  entered  upon  a  confi¬ 
dential  mission  to  the  foreign  courts,  and  I  may  presume  that  he  will  en¬ 
deavor  on  the  one  side  to  create  a  belief  in  the  love  for  peace  of  the  present 
Parisian  Government,  and  on  the  other  side  will  request  the  intervention  of 
the  Neutral  Powers  in  favor  of  a  peace  which  shall  deprive  Germany  of  the 
fruits  of  her  victories,  and  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  every  basis  of  peace 
which  would  make  the  next  attack  of  France  on  Germany  more  difficult. 

FRANCE  NOT  SINCERE. 

We  cannot  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  the  desire  of  the  present  Parisian 
Government  to  make  peace,  so  long  as  it  continues  by  its  language  and  its 
acts  at  home  to  excite  the  passions  of  the  people. 

DON’T  CARE  WHO  GOVERNS  FRANCE. 

We  are  far  from  any  inclination  to  mix  in  the  internal  affairs  of  France. 
It  is  immaterial  to  us  what  kind  of  a  Government  the  French  people  shall 
formally  establish  for  themselves.  The  Government  of  the  Emperor  Na¬ 
poleon  has  hitherto  been  the  only  one  recognized  by  us.  Our  conditions 
of  peace,  with  whatever  Government,  legislating  for  the  purpose  we  may 
have  to  negotiate  with,  are  wholly  independent  of  the  question  how  or  by 
whom  the  French  nation  is  governed.  They  are  prescribed  to  us  by  the 
nature  of  things,  and  by  the  law  of  self-defence  against  a  violent  and  hos¬ 
tile  neighbor. 

WANTS  STRASBURG  AND  METZ. 

The  unanimous  voice  of  the  Germanic  Governments  and  the  German  peo¬ 
ple  demands  that  Germany  shall  be  protected  by  better  boundaries  than  we 
have  hitherto  had,  against  the  dangers  and  violence  we  have  experienced 
from  all  French  Governments  for  centuries.  So  long  as  France  remains 
in  possession  of  Strasburg  and  Metz,  so  long  is  its  offensive  strategically 
stronger  than  our  defensive,  so  far  as  all  South  Germany  and  North  Germa¬ 
ny  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine  are  concerned.  Strasburg  in  the  posses¬ 
sion  of  France  is  a  gate  wide  open  for  attack  on  South  Germany.  In  the 
hands  of  Germany,  Strasburg  and  Metz  obtain  a  defensive  character. 

FRANCE  ALWAYS  THE  AGGRESSOR. 

In  more  than  twenty  wars  we  have  never  been  the  aggressors  on  France  ; 
and  we  demand  of  the  latter  nothing  else  than  our  safety  in  our  own  land, 
so  often  threatened  by  it.  France,  on  the  other  hand,  will  regard  any  peace 
that  may  be  made  now  as  an  armistice  only,  and,  in  order  to  avenge  the 
present  defeat,  will  attack  us  in  the  same  quarrelsome  and  wanton  manner 
as  this  year,  as  soon  as  it  feels  strong  enough  in  its  own  resources  or  in  for¬ 
eign  alliances. 

CRIPPLE  FRANCE  FOR  LASTING  PEACE. 

In  rendering  it  difficult  for  France,  from  whose  initiative  alone  hitherto 
the  disturbances  of  Europe  have  resulted,  to  resume  the  offensive,  we  at  the 
same  time  act  in  the  interest  of  Europe,  which  is  that  of  peace. 

GERMANY  WANTS  PEACE. 

From  Germany  no  disturbance  of  the  European  peace  is  to  be  feared. 
Although  France  had  been  trying  to  force  the  war  upon  us  for  four  years, 
we,  by  our  care,  and  by  restraining  the  feelings  of  our  national  self-respect, 
so  incessantly  outraged  by  France,  had  prevented  its  occurrence. 

13* 


293 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSTAN  WAR. 


FORTIFICATIONS  AND  TERRITORY. 

We  mean  now  for  our  future  safety  to  demand  the  price  of  our  mighty 
efforts.  We  shall  demand  only  that  which  we  must  have  for  our  defence. 
Nobody  will  be  able  to  accuse  us  of  want  of  moderation  if  we  insist  upon 
this  just  and  equitable  demand. 

Y our  Excellency  will  make  these  views  your  own,  and  advocate  them  in 
discussions. 

Bismarck. 

Saturday,  September  17.  —  The  Czar  of  Russia  shows  his 
personal  sympathies,  by  bestowing  the  Cross  of  the  Order  of 
St.  George  on  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  and  on  the  Prince 
of  Hesse.  The  fort  of  Vincennes  is  abandoned  and  destroyed 
by  the  French.  The  blockade  of  the  North  Sea  raised. 
French  scouts  blow  up  the  locks  on  the  Marne,  and  stick  the 
Prussian  siege  guns  in  the  mud.  Herr  Carl  Vogt,  and  Dr.  Jo¬ 
hann  Jacobi,  of  Konigsberg,  lead  German  Republicans  in  oppos¬ 
ing  the  acquisition  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine.  Jacobi  arrested. 

PRUSSIA  BECOMES  VINDICTIVE. 

This  they  say  in  Berlin  to-day  :  The  fact  that  Paris  is  suc¬ 
cessfully  invested,  and  that  all  its  communications  are  cut  off, 
seems  to  admit  of  no  doubt,  and  if  it  is  to  fall,  as  it  must,  it  had 
better  fall  soon,  and  thus  escape  the  dreadful  fate  of  poor  Stras- 
burg.  The  King  himself  seems  to  look  forward  to  an  easy 
capture,  because  he  has  actually  summoned  some  of  his  old 
companions  in  arms,  who  entered  Paris  with  him  in  1815,  to 
come  to  headquarters,  and  share  with  him  in  the  impending  tri¬ 
umphal  entry,  himself  at  the  head  of  the  victorious  and  con¬ 
quering  hosts.  Certainly  he  is  having  a  surfeit  of  victory  and 
glory,  and  there  are  those  who  begin  to  believe  that  it  would 
have  been  better  for  the  people  of  Germany  not  to  have  had  so 
much  success. 

PLYAING  THE  ROLE  OF  FRANCE. 

They  are  showing  signs  of  losing  their  better  judgment  and 
their  sense  of  right  and  justice  under  it,  and  of  assuming  the 
very  rble  which  France  has  played  so  long,  and  which  they 
themselves  have  so  strongly  and  justly  denounced. 

“WHIP  THE  WORLD.” 

Germany  can  whip  the  world  now.  What  need  we  care  for 
others  ?  Such  is  the  universal  cry.  If  a  wise  and  a  good  man 
among  them  dares  to  raise  his  voice,  and  utter  words  of  wisdom 


SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  18. 


299 


and  caution,  as  did  Johann  Jacobi  at  Konigsberg,  the  military 
power  lays  hold  of  him,  and  drowns  his  voice  behind  prison 
doors. 

WEAK  DESPOTISM. 

The  arrest  of  that  unswerving  and  single-minded  patriot,  one 
of  the  few,  if  not  the  only,  consistent  public  men  in  Germany, 
for  no  other  crime  than  raising  his  voice  for  peace,  for  the  Re¬ 
public  in  France,  and  against  doing  violence  to  the  people  of 
Alsace  and  Lorraine,  is  an  act  unworthy  of  a  great  Govern¬ 
ment.  Germany  is  to  be  united,  but  not  to  be  free,  it  seems. 

Sunday,  September  18.— The  Prussians  appear  on  the  heights 
of  Villejuif  and  Sceaux,  in  the  environs  of  Paris.  General 
Vinoy  attacks  the  Prussians  at  Creteil.  The  French  retreat. 
Foreign  Ministers,  except  Washburne,  leave  Paris.  The  Prus¬ 
sians  “feel"  Forts  Ivry  and  Charenton.  The  Liberte ,  Consti- 
tutionnel,  Gazette  de  France ,  and  some  other  journals  hereto¬ 
fore  printed  in  Paris,  are  printed  in  Tours.  The  Corps  Diplo¬ 
matique  arrive  in  Tours. 

WHAT  WAR  HAS  DONE. 

THE  COMIC  SIDE. 

The  war  has  undermined  a  good  many  errors.  Before  Sedan 
the  French  looked  down  upon  the  Germans.  They  made  fun 
of  German  art,  German  music,  and  German  philosophy.  If 
there  was  a  mean  thing  in  Paris,  it  was  called  German. 
When  the  band  squeaked  in  La  Belle  Helene ,  with  what  irony 
Calcas  exclaimed,  “  C'est  musique  Allemande.”  They  spoke 
about  and  got  to  look  upon  the  German  nation  as  Southerners 
were  taught  to  look  upon  Northerners,  before  our  war  destroyed 
certain  popular  fallacies.  The  “  Yankee  ”  was  found,  after  all, 
to  be  the  true  man  —  the  leader  of  American  civilization. 
Frenchmen  have  been  puffed  up  and  self-deceived.  If  the  su¬ 
perior  civilization  of  Prussia  shall  capture  Paris,  it  will  be  a 
good  thing  for  the  French  nation.  They  will  commence  again. 
Their  eyes  will  be  opened.  The  Mahonnnedan  says  “  Christian 
dog  ”  so  much,  that  he  gets  to  believe  it.  A  crusade  now  and 
then  would  let  a  little  truth  into  that  Dead  Sea  of  Eastern 
error. 

“A  bas  Bismarck”  and  “A  Berlin ”  were  easy  to  say.  By 
and  by  the  French  got  to  believe  them.  It  would  be  well  if 


300 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


the  French  would  believe  their  war  songs  too.  The  “  Chant  du 
Depart,”  for  example,  is  a  song  in  which  kings  are  attacked, 
and  not  with  sugar-plums.  Take  these  lines  : 

“Tremblez,  ennemis  de  la  France, 

Rois  ivres  de  sang  et  d’orgueil  ; 

Le  peuple  souverain  s’avance  : 

Tyrans,  descendez  au  cercueil.” 

Kings  drunk  with  blood  and  pride  are  images  not  exactly  to 
the  taste  or  adapted  to  the  purposes  of  the  Emperor.  The 
revolution  and  its  songs  are  useful,  when  trimmed  to  the  pat¬ 
tern  of  Imperial  democracy,  and  thus  the  above  lines  do  ser¬ 
vice  now  in  the  following  disguise  : 

“Tremblez,  ennemis  de  la  France, 

Tous,  ivres  de  sang  et  d’orgueil ; 

Le  peuple  souverain  s’avance  : 

Tombez,  descendez  au  cercueil.” 

The  Zouaves  sang  when  they  marched  out : 

“  Bismarck,  si  tu  continues, 

De  tous  tes  Prussiens  n’en  restera  guere  ; 

Bismarck,  si  tu  continues,  ■ 

De  tous  tes  Prussiens  n’en  restera  plus.” 

And  this : 

‘Quand  t’es  Franchise  par  le  coeur, 

Voudrais-tu  devenir  Prussienne? 

Si  tu  veux  rester  Alsacienne, 

Aime-moi,  je  serai  vainqueur  ! 

Gr&ce  a  toi,  piquante  Alsacienne, 

La  Prusse,  ma  parole  d’honneur, 

En  verra  d’un,  drdP  de  couleur  !  ” 

The  “  drol’  de  couleur  ”  is  that  sallow  tint  of  fear  which  is 
known  to  Paris  couturi^res  as  the  Couleur  Bismarck. 

Alas  !  the  poor  Zouaves  were  almost  all  captured  at  Weisen- 
burg  and  Woerth.  Turcos,  Turcos ,  Turcos.  It  was.  all  Tur- 
cos  before  the  war.  Nobody  says  Turcos  in  Paris  now.  The 
mitrailleuse  is  almost  dead  too.  The  Turcos  and  mitrailleuses 
were  to  kill  Prussia,  but  the  German  King  looks  down  on  poor 
Paris  from  the  Imperial  palace  of  St.  Cloud.  War  has  done 
this. 

SUDDEN  CHANGES. 

It  is  hard  to  keep  up  with  the  sudden  changes  in  Paris. 
Fifty  persons  were  arrested  one  day  for  crying  “  Vive  la  Re- 
publique  /”  and  sixty  the  very  next  day  for  crying  “  Vive  l  Em- 
pereur  !  ”  One  hour  it  is  “  up  with  the  Imperial  eagles,”  and 
the  next  the  mob  goes  shouting,  with  a  dreadful  irony,  “  h,  bas 
la  volaille  ” — “  down  with  the  poultry." 

The  French  do  not  know  what  they  do  want.  They  are 
children.  The  balloon  fever  set  the  city  in  a  frenzy  one  day. 
It  was  so  amusing  that  they  forgot  King  William.  Everybody 
wanted  to  ride.  Even  Gambetta,  the  Minister  of  the  Interior, 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  19. 


301 


took  a  diplomatic  balloon  ride  over  the  walls  toward  Tours. 
The  bourgeoisie  are  too  ignorant  to  care  for  results.  Rather 
than  fight  for  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  they  would  receive  back 
Napoleon  from  the  Prussians,  and  look  upon  him  as  a  saviour. 

Ask  a  Frenchman  what  he  thinks  of  Jules  Favre’s  proclama¬ 
tion  to  the  crowned  heads,  and  he  will  say,  “  It  is  too  long, 
and  not  to  the  point.”  The  point  should  be  all  in  a  nutshell, 
thus : 

“  King  William  !  You  said  you  fought  against  a  man  and  not  against  the 
people.  The  man  is  gone,  and  the  people  are  ready  to  make  a  peace.  If 
you  refuse  reasonable  terms,  you  are  declaring  fresh  war,  in  which  the  sym¬ 
pathies  of  Europe  must  also  be  distributed  afresh.” 

ALL  SAVE  HONOR  LOST  ! 

M.  Arthur  de  Boissieu,  who,  alluding  to  the  famous  despatch 
of  Francis  I.  :  “  Tout  est  perdu  hors  thonneur  !  ”  remarks  that 
Napoleon  III.  at  Sedan  had  lost  every  thing  which  the  other  had 
saved  at  Pavia  ! 

Monday,  September  19.  —  The  Prussian  army  reaches  Paris 
on  the  north.  The  Crown  Prince  passes  the  Seine  at  Ville- 
neuve  St.  Georges,  eight  miles  south  of  Paris,  marches  to  the 
south  of  the  city,  and  defeats  three  divisions  of  French  under 
General  Vinoy,  near  Sceaux.  Immense  Republican  meeting 
in  London,  to  express  sympathy  with  France.  Bismarck  talks 
to  Mr.  Malet  about  having  Metz. 

PARIS. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  I9TH. 

LOUIS  BLANC  WRITES  : 

“Paris,  19th. 

“There  has  been  fighting  to-day  all  around  Paris,  with  alternations  of 
success  and  disadvantage.  The  city  is  full  of  spirit,  and  yet  calm.  The 
National  Guard  has  shown  itself  resolute,  and  the  Garde  Mobile,  coming 
from  all  parts  of  the  country,  displays  that  careless  gayety  so  characteristic 
of  the  French. 

“We  are  sad,  yet  hopeful.  Do  not  suppose  that  we  expect  to  escape  the 
consequences  of  a  war  into  which  we  have  been  dragged  in  spite  of  our¬ 
selves.  We  desire  peace  on  equitable  and  honorable  conditions ;  if  we  can¬ 
not  have  that,  we  are  ready  to  accept  war  to  the  knife.” 

KING  WILLIAM  TELEGRAPHS. 

To  the  Queen  : 

The  French  abandoned  their  position  near  Pierrefitte,  north  of  Fort 
St.  Denis.  At  the  same  time  the  Prusso-Bavarian  Corps,  crossing  the 
Seine  near  Villeneuve,  attacked  three  divisions  under  the  command  of 
General  Vinoy,  on  the  heights  of  Sceaux,  and  captured  seven  guns  and 
many  men.  Fritz  directed  the  movements.  The  weather  is  superb. 

William. 


302  the  franco-prussian  war. 

(See  map  p.  340) 

ACCOUNT  OF  THE  GREAT  SORTIE. 

This  most  important  battle  of  the  19th  took  place  upon  the 
southern  side  of  Paris.  Here  General  Ducrot,  who  escaped 
from  Sedan,  with  50,000  men  fought  the  Crown  Prince  with 
about  the  same  number.  The  heights  of  Clamart  and  Meu- 
don  were  the  scene  of  the  engagement.  (See  map ,  25 th  Sept.) 
The  weak  point  of  Paris  is  in  front  of  these  two  villages,  and 
they  were  for  days,  the  objective  point  of  a  besieging  army. 

THE  MISTAKE  OF  FRANCE 

was  in  first  permitting  the  Prussians  to  occupy  these  locations. 
Not  only  this,  but  the  Marne  and  Seine  should  also  have  been 
defended.  Once  with  Krupp’s  guns  planted  behind  earth¬ 
works  at  Clamart,  and  the  brickwork  of  Issy  and  Vanvres  will 
fall  like  the  walls  of  Sumpter ,  and  then  the  long-range  guns 
will  carry  to  Notre  Dame.  Then  falls  Paris.  What  wonder 
that  Ducrot  made  a  heroic  effort  ?  But  before  Clamart  came 
the  Marne  and  Seine.  History  will  ask,  “  \$hy  were  not  they 
defended  before  ?  ” 

It  was  along  the  Seine  that  former  besieging  armies  met 
their  severest  trials,  and  more  than  one  army  has  been  nearly 
decimated  in  crossing  those  two  rivers.  But  these  positions 
were  given  up  without  a  struggle,  and  the  enemy  made  the  pas¬ 
sage  of  the  Seine  without  opposition.  Once  in  possession  of 
the  country  about  Juvisy,  the  way  was  open  to  the  very  forts 
around  Paris,  and  no  engagement  took  place  until  the  redoubt 
of  Chatillon  was  reached.  This  work  was  unfinished  and  only 
partially  mounted,  for  the  guns  were  to  have  been  taken  out 
two  days  ago,  had  not  the  bad  weather  stopped  the  work.  As 
it  was,  the  guns  were  spiked  and  left. 

General  Trochu  explains  the  abandoning  of  these  positions 
to  the  fact  that  the  disasters  of  Woerth  and  Sedan  had  demoral¬ 
ized  the  French  army  to  such  an  extent  that  it  could  only  be 
trusted  behind  breastworks.  For  this  reason,  Gen.  Trochu  re¬ 
luctantly  gave  up  the  defence  of  the  Seine,  and  fell  back  to  a 
point  within  supporting  distance  of  the  forts. 

THE  BATTLE  FOR  THE  LOST  GROUND. 

At  the  very  last  moment  Gen.  Ducrot  arrived,  having  es¬ 
caped  from  the  capitulation  of  Sedan.  Gen.  Trochu  thought 
that  if  the  troops  would  follow  any  leader,  it  would  be  one  fresh 
from  the  smell  of  powder.  It  was  then  too  late  to  defend  the 
river,  but  Gen.  Ducrot  thought  that  he  could  hold  Chatillon 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  19. 


303 


and  the  wood  of  Meudon,  at  least  for  some  days.  A  recon- 
noissance,  made  on  the  evening  of  the  18th,  showed  that  the 
enemy  had  already  entered  the  wood,  and  while  one  portion  of 
his  force  was  pushing  on  toward  Versailles,  another  had  turned 
face  toward  Clamart.  Troops  were  being  rapidly  pushed 
across  the  Seine,  occupying  positions  near  Juvisy,  or  were  as 
far  up  as  Villejuif,  and  twenty  thousand  were  already  sheltered 
in  the  wood  beyond  Chatillon.  Gen.  Ducrot  decided  to  attack 
them  on  the  morning  of  the  19th.  At  five  o’clock  the  fire  was 
opened.  Before  a  Prussian  was  seen,  the  French  began  to  fire 
into  the  wood  with  small  arms,  and  this  fire  was  kept  up 
briskly  as  the  force  advanced,  but  without  bringing  a  response. 
Presently  a  wreath  of  smoke  rose  among  the  trees,  and  a  well- 
directed  volley  was  poured  into  the  advancing  force.  The 
cavalry  immediately  turned,  and,  as  it  was  forced  to  do,  broke 
through  the  infantry,  leaving  a  bad  impression  upon  the  fresh 
troops.  At  this  time  Gen.  Vinoy  occupied  the  extreme  left 
resting  upon  Fort  Bicetre,  his  force  stretching  along  the  plateau 
in  front  of  Villejuif  and  his  right  resting  upon  Gen.  Ducrot’s 
left.  The  Second  Zouaves  was  on  the  left  of  Ducrot’s  divi¬ 
sion,  a  regiment  greatly  cut  up  in  the  battles  with  MacMahon, 
and  reorganized  by  incorporating  young  men  from  the  city. 
The  enemy,  still  under  cover  of  the  wood,  sent  another  volley 
into  this  regiment,  throwing  it  into  the  greatest  confusion,  and 
another  volley  caused  a  complete  panic.  The  Zouaves  broke, 
and  in  an  utter  rout,  without  having  seen  the  head  of  a  single 
Prussian,  and  in  a  terrror-stricken  panic,  fled  to  the  city.  The 
panic  also  spread  to  some  regiments  near,  and,  in  utter  confu¬ 
sion,  some  fifteen  thousand  men  fled  to  the  forts,  to  announce 
that  all  was  lost,  and  to  say  that  the  Prussians  were  close  upon 
them.  It  was  a  case  of  pure  fright,  and  in  vain  the  chagrined 
officers  tried  to  rally  their  men.  Only  a  score  or  two  responded, 
and  the  retreat  was  sounded.  This  was  taken  up  by  other 
regiments,  and  Gen.  Ducrot,  seeing  his  force  leaving  the  field, 
was  forced  to  order  a  retreat  behind  the  guns  of  the  redoubt. 
For  the  first  time  the  enemy  began  to  move,  and,  seeing  that 
he  was  being  flanked,  the  guns  of  the  redoubt  were  spiked,  and 
left  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Prussians.  The  General  and 
his  staff,  or  the  few  men  that  remained  of  it,  were  the  last  to 
leave  Chatillon. 

THE  FRENCH  BULL  RUN. 

Meantime  the  fugitives  had  reached  the  city,  and,  throwing 
the  forts  into  a  state  of  alarm,  the  draw-bridges  were  raised  and 


304 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


the  men  put  in  position  to  repel  an  assault ;  but  as  time  went 
on  there  was  a  large  collection  of  fugitives  without,  and,  as  no 
enemy  appeared  behind  them,  the  bridges  were  again  lowered. 
Instead  of  arresting  these  men  upon  the  spot,  and  of  sending 
them  back  under  guard  to  find  their  arms,  they  were  turned 
loose  into  the  city,  to  spread  consternation  there  by  their  tales 
of  disaster  and  defeat.  “We  entered  the  fight  this  morning 
116  strong,”  said  a  frightened  Zouave,  “and  we  eight  are  all 
who  came  out  alive.  We  are  the  saved.”  Saved  by  their 
legs,  as  were  all  the  rest,  save  two,  that  being  the  sum  of  their 
casualties. 

It  was  the  old  story  of  Bull  Run  repeated.  Did  not  the  au¬ 
thor  meet  a  few  straggling  Ellsworth  Zouaves  at  Alexandria, 
after  Bull  Run,  who  had  the  same  tale?  “We  are  all  that  are 
left  of  the  Zouaves,”  they  said  sadly.  Again  at  Fort  Runyon, 
at  the  end  of  Long  Bridge,  were  a  hundred  more.  “The  rest 
are  all  dead,”  they  sighed.  In  Washington  were  still  a  few 
hundred  more  of  the  survivors,  while  a  few  weeks  afterwards 
the  regiment  rendezvoused  in  New  York  900  strong  !  Brave 
Zouaves  ! 

THE  BLAME. 

But  these  raw  French  soldiers  were  not  wholly  at  fault. 
Doubtless  the  older  Zouaves  were  demoralized  by  the  terrific 
battles  before  Sedan,  and  the  new  recruits  had  never  before 
been  under  fire.  Fortunately  for  all,  the  panic  was  stopped 
for  a  time  by  a  brigade  of  Breton  Mobiles,  who  could  not  be 
induced  to  fly  before  they  had  seen  the  enemy,  and  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  at  last  that  their  officers  got  these  young  men 
away,  when  to  fight  longer  would  have  been  useless.  But  the 
fact  soon  became  apparent  that  an  overwhelming  force  was 
massing  for  an  attack.  From  the  first  the  French  officers  have 
been  surprised  by  the  rapid  marches  of  the  Prussians,  and  by 
the  rapidity  of  their  concentrations.  Trusting  to  the  reports 
of  the  evening  before,  Gen.  Ducrot  still  believed  that  he  had 
had  to  do  with  a  force  of  the  enemy  twenty  thousand  strong, 
and  that  he  had  the  advantage  of  numbers ;  but  during  the 
night  the  Prussians  had  been  largely  reinforced  from  the  corps 
of  Gen.  Vogel  Von  Falckenstein,  which  had  crossed  the  Seine 
at  Villeneuve  St.  Georges,  and  made  a  forced  march  to  the 
wood  of  Meudon.  It  is  probable  that  there  were  fifty  thousand 
men  before  Gen.  Ducrot,  and  that  25,000  were  engaged. 


MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER  19. 


305 


EXCITEMENT  IN  THE  CITY. 

After  these  engagements  the  city  was  thrown  into  a  great 
state  of  excitement  by  the  fuyards  from  the  army,  who  dis¬ 
persed  through  the  streets  relating  their  false  romances.  Large 
groups  of  citizens  surrounded  these  men,  and  listened  with 
eager  interest  to  their  tales,  while,  in  certain  quarters  already 
designated,  real  panics  were  caused.  As  the  fugitives  grew 
more  numerous,  the  public  began  to  understand  the  true  state 
of  the  case,  and  a  feeling  of  indignation  arose.  Some  men 
were  caught  throwing  their  cartridges  into  the  Seine.  The 
stories  told  by  these  men  were  numerous,  and  far  from  ingenious. 
Some  claimed  to  be  the  sole  survivors  of  their  regiments. 
Others  had  used  all  their  cartridges,  but  a  far  greater  number 
put  themselves  upon  a  high  Republican  sentiment,  and  said 
that  their  officers  were  traitors,  sold  to  the  King  of  Prussia, 
and  whole  regiments  were  about  to  be  given  up  when  the 
treason  was  found  out.  This  cry  drew  immediate  sympathy, 
and  fora  time  the  crowd  cried,  “  Death  to  all  Bonapartists,”  and 
was  loud  in  accusing  of  treason  every  man  who  had  ever  served 
the  Empire.  Later  in  the  evening,  Gen.  Ducrot’ s  force  entered 
the  city,  and  the  truth  was  known.  Orders  were  given  to  ar¬ 
rest  the  fugitives,  and  the  National  Guard  went  about  the 
task.  Gen.  Trochu  issued  an  order,  threatening  the  punish¬ 
ment  of  death  to  any  soldier  who  throws  down  his  arms  in 
the  face  of  the  enemy.  The  same  night  countercharges 
were  made,  and  the  report  spread  that  the  old  Zouaves, 
who  had  fought  under  the  Empire,  had  really  sold  them¬ 
selves  to  the  enemy. 

RESULTS. 

The  results  of  the  day  show  that  Gen.  Trochu  was  right 
in  his  estimate  of  his  men,  for  they  would  not  stand  against 
the  enemy  in  the  field.  The  disgrace  of  the  Zouaves  has 
had  a  good  effect,  however,  and  next  time  men  will  be  more 
careful  how  they  leave  the  field  before  the  enemy  come  in 
sight.  The  position  captured  by  the  Prussians  at  Chatillon 
is  a  very  important  one,  and  one  which  they  will  use  to  great 
advantage  as  soon  as  heavy  guns  can  be  mounted  upon  the 
redoubt. 

THE  STATUS  OF  PARIS  TO-DAY. 

With  the  defeat  of  the  French  at  Chatillon,  and  the  occu¬ 
pation  of  the  redoubt  there,  the  Prussians  gained  a  very  im- 


306 


THE  FRA  N  C  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


portant  point.  They  now  hold  a  height  which  dominates 
Fort  Vanvres,  and  at  a  distance  of  about  (I  believe)  3800 
yards.  From  that  point  Fort  Vanvres  can  be  reduced  in  a 
few  hours.  That  battery  is  also  only  three  and  a  half  Eng¬ 
lish  miles  from  Vaugirard,  and  fire  can  not  only  be  opened 
upon  the  main  fortifications,  but  upon  the  city  itself.  Sup¬ 
posing  that  the  troops  are  driven  from  Fort  Vanvres,  these 
guns  can  then  be  pushed  forward,  and  an  effectual  fire  opened 
upon  the  main  works.  No  troops  can  be  kept  behind  a 
mass  of  stones  while  these  terrible  projectiles  are  crashing 
against  them  ;  but,  as  for  the  assault,  when  the  breech  is 
made  everything  depends  upon  the  spirit  of  the  soldiers 
within  the  walls.  As  for  the  people,  they  can  do  nothing 
better  than  to  give  an  example  of  coolness  and  bravery,  for 
it  may  as  well  be  acknowledged  at  once,  that,  before  organ¬ 
ized  troops,  an  armed  mob  could  render  but  little  service,  if 
it  did  not  really  embarrass  the  defence. 

THE  PRUSSIAN  ENTRY. 

Paris  walls  are  made  of  stone  and  mortar.  They  cannot 
stand  the  fire  from  an  earthwork.  Delhi  in  India  was 
breeched  with  field  howitzers  in  two  hours.  Sumpter  fell  with 
one-half  the  firing  which  it  took  to  reduce  Fort  Fisher. 
America  has  demonstrated  that  no  reliance  is  to  be  put  in  stone 
and  mortar.  Stone  and  mortar  fortifications  will  die  with  the 
siege  of  Paris.  There  is  a  belief  in  Paris  that  the  Prussians 
will  enter  the  city  at  their  first  serious  attempt.  Gen.  Trochu 
issues  the  following  order  relative  to  the  fight  of  to-day  (19th), 
and  prepares  the  army  against  future  panics  : 

To  the  National  Guard,  the  Garde  Mobile ,  and  the  Troops  in  Garrison  at  Paris. 

In  the  combat  of  yesterday,  which  lasted  nearly  the  whole  day,  and  in  which  our  artil¬ 
lery,  whose  firmness  cannot  be  too  highly  praised,  has  inflicted  enormous  losses  on  the 
enemy,  some  incidents  have  occurred  which  it  is  necessary,  in  the  interest  of  the  great 
cause  which  we  defend  in  common,  should  be  communicated  to  you. 

An  unjustifiable  panic,  which  the  efforts  of  an  excellent  chief  of  the  corps  and  of  his  of¬ 
ficers  were  unable  to  prevent,  seized  the  regiment  of  Zouaves  which  held  our  right  wing. 
From  the  commencement  of  the  action  the  most  part  of  the  soldiers  were  thrown  into  dis¬ 
order,  producing  there  the  greatest  alarm. 

In  order  to  excuse  their  conduct,  these  cowards  have  declared  that  they  were  being  led 
to  certain  destruction,  although  their  effective  was  intact, _and  they  were  without  wounds  ; 
that  they  wanted  cartouches,  although  they  had  not  used  those  with  which  they  were  sup¬ 
plied,  I  have  ascertained  myself,  from  what  they  still  have  ;  that  they  had  been  betrayed 
by  their  chiefs,  etc.,  etc.  The  truth  is,  that  these  unworthy  fellows  have  compromised  an 
engagement,  which,  notwithstanding  this  panic,  has  produced  considerable  results  due  to 
others,  soldiers  of  the  infantry  joined  to  them. 

Already  the  misfortunes  which  have  happened  to  us  in  the  commencement  of  the  war 
have  caused  to  flow  into  Paris  undisciplined  and  demoralized  soldiers,  who  produce  in¬ 
quietude  and  trouble,  and  escape,  through  circumstances,  the  authority  of  their  chiefs  and 
all  attempts  at  repression. 

I  am  firmly  resolved  to  put  an  end  to  such  grave  disorders.  I  command  all  the  de¬ 
fenders  of  Paris  to  seize  all  men  who,  being  regular  soldiers  or  belonging  to  the  Garde 


LONDON,  SEPTEMBER  19. 


307 


Mobile,  are  rolling  about  the  town  in  a  state  of  drunkenness,  thus  bringing  scandal  and 
dishonor  upon  the  uniform  they  wear. 

The  soldiers  or  Gardes  Mobiles  thus  arrested  will  be  conducted  to  the  headquarters  of 
the  place  —  7  Place  Vendome  —  the  inhabitants  arrested  to  the  Prefecture  of  Police.  They 
will  afterwards  be  brought  before  a  council  of  war,  which,  sitting  en  permanence,  will  ad¬ 
judge  the  rigorous  application  of  martial  law. 

Article  213  prescribes  the  punishment  of  death  to  every  soldier  who  abandons  his  post  in 
presence  of  the  enemy  or  of  armed  rebels. 

Article  218  prescribes  the  punishment  of  death,  with  military  degradation,  to  all  sol¬ 
diers  who  refuse  to  obey  when  commanded  to  march  upon  the  enemy. 

Article  250  prescribes  the  punishment  of  death,  with  military  degradation,  to  all  who  pil¬ 
lage  food,  merchandise,  or  effects,  by  soldiers  in  bands,  either  with  arms  or  by  open  force, 
or  with  violence  towards  the  person. 

Article  253  prescribes  the  punishment  of  death,  with  military  degradation,  to  all  soldiers 
who  destroy  the  means  of  defence,  supplies  of  arms,  victuals,  or  munitions  of  war,  etc.,  etc. 

It  is  as  much  the  duty  of  the  Government  to  defend  Paris,  which  is  just  being  subjected 
to  siege,  as  it  is  to  maintain  order.  By  the  present  arrangements,  it  associates  in  the  ef¬ 
fort  all  men  of  heart  and  will,  of  which  the  number  is  great  in  the  city. 

The  President  of  Government,  Governor  of  Paris,  General  Trochu. 

Paris ,  September  20. 


THE  REPUBLIC  IN  LONDON. 

London,  September  19.  — The  democratic  demonstration  of  the  people 
of  London  to-night,  in  Trafalgar  Square,  is  one  of  the  greatest  popular 
assemblages  ever  seen  in  the  British  capital.  For  nearly  two  hours  the 
streets  leading  to  Clerkenwell,  Bethnal  Green,  and  Holborn  were  alive  with 
the  successive  processions  of  the  workingmen’s  societies,  and  the  demo¬ 
cratic  associations  of  the  metropolis. 

The  great  wave  that  swept  away  the  empire  of  France  has  reached  Eng¬ 
land,  and  the  throne  of  Queen  Victoria  totters  to  its  fall. 

In  that  great  quadrangle  at  the  base  of  Nelson’s  column  are  50,000 
Republicans.  Trafalgar  Square  is  filled  with  Englishmen  carrying  the  flags 
of  republican  France  and  republican  America,  and  the  white  flag  of  the 
British  republic  that  is  to  come,  and  shouting,  as  Englishmen  and  Ameri¬ 
cans  only  can  shout,  for  “Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fraternity;”  for  the 
French  republic  that  is,  and  for  the  British  republic  that  is  to  be. 

The  meeting  was  called  to  sustain  the  new  Republic  of  France.  So 
eager  were  the  people  to  respond  to  the  notices  of  the  meeting  that  had 
been  issued,  that  although  the  proceedings  were  announced  to  commence  at 
seven  o’clock,  the  terrace  in  front  of  the  National  Gallery,  and  between 
that  building  and  Nelson’s  Pillar,  was  filled  at  six  o’clock,  and  when  the 
processions  from  different  parts  of  the  city  arrived,  the  assemblage  became 
immense.  These  processions  carried  with  them  the  American  flag,  the 
French  tricolor,  and  the  British  flag,  with  the  union  down  and  draped  in 
crape.  Along  their  lines,  also,  were  seen  liberty-caps,  borne  on  the  ends 
of  spears,  and,  most  significant  of  all,  a  pure  white  flag,  with  the  word 
“  republic” 

emblazoned  in  gold  letters  on  its  folds. 

DIPLOMACY. 

Mr.  Malet,  Second  English  Secretary  of  Legation,  reports  to 
Lord  Granville  the  following  conversation  with  Bismarck  at 
the  King’s  headquarters  : 

Malet  asked  “for  France  a  Prussian  ultimatum  :  ” 

“  We  must  have  Metz  and  Strasburg,”  said  Bismarck. 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


'308 

“  Dismantled  ?  ”  asked  Malet. 

“  No  !  ”  replied  Bismarck,  “  stronger  than  ever.” 

“  Then,  suppose  the  French  Government  finds  your  terms  impossible  ?  ” 

“  We  shall  invest  and  starve  Paris  ;  if  Chat  does  not  succeed,  we  shall  try 
sharper  means.” 

“  Would  you  bombard  the  city  ?  ” 

“  Certainly  ;  and  burn  it,  if  forced.  The  necessity  is  sad,  but  how  is  it 
to  be  escaped?  ” 

Bismarck’s  observations  about  Gladstone  and  Granville,  and  their  timid 
message-carrying,  were  the  reverse  of  respectful,  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
let  it  be  seen  that  he  cared  nothing  for  the  efforts  of  outsiders,  and  was  re¬ 
solved  to  settle  all  questions  with  France  alone. 

MOTLEY’S  OPINION. 

Mr.  Motley  says : 

“  The  statement  that  Prussia  refuses  to  treat,  except  with  the  Regency, 
and  intends  to  reinstate  Napoleon  as  Emperor  of  France,  is  false.  Prus¬ 
sia  objects  to  recognizing  the  present  Government,  not  because  of  the  proc¬ 
lamation  of  the  Republic,  but  on  the  ground  that  it  is  unauthorized,  unsta¬ 
ble,  and  incapable  of  giving  lasting  guarantees.” 

Tuesday,  Sept.  20.  —  The  Prussian  army  arrives  at  Versailles. 
The  Republic  proclaims  “  not  an  inch  of  territory  ”  to  Prus¬ 
sia.  The  Italian  army  enters  Rome.  General  R.  Cadoma  re¬ 
ceives  from  General  Kanzler  the  surrender  of  the  Papal 
forces.  Jules  Favre  is  received  by  King  William  in  Rothschild’s 
chateau  at  Ferrieres.  Prussian  forces  skirmish  toward  Fontaine¬ 
bleau,  and  press  the  fortifications  of  Paris — Forts  Ivry  and 
Charenton. 


PROCLAMATION  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 

This  important  proclamation  announcing  the  policy  of  France 
appears  to-day : 

TO  THE  FRENCH  PEOPLE. 


A  report  has  been  in  circulation  that  the  Government  of  the  National 
Defence  thinks  of  abandoning  the  policy  for  the  carrying  out  of  which  it  has 
been  placed  in  the  post  of  honor  and  of  peril. 

This  policy  may  be  summed  up  in  these  words  : 

Not  an  inch  of  our  territory ,  not  a  stone  of  our  fortresses.  The  Govern¬ 
ment  will  maintain  this  policy  to  the  end. 

Given  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  the  20th  of  September,  1870. 

General  Trochu, 

Emmanuel  Arago, 

Jules  Favre, 


SEPTEMBER  20.  —  VERSAILLES. 


309 


Jules  Ferry, 

Gambetta, 

Garnier-Pages, 

Pelletan, 

Ernest  Picard, 

Rochefort, 

Jules  Simon, 

The  Minister  of  War,  General  Leflo  ; 
The  Minister  of  Agriculture  and  Com¬ 
merce,  M.  Magnin  ; 

The  Minister  of  Public  Works,  M.  Do¬ 
rian. 

THE  MILITARY  STATUS. 

The  influx  of  troops  into  France  still  continues.  650,000 
men  are  already  on  French  soil.  The  Crown  Prince  of  Sax¬ 
ony  on  the  north,  and  of  Prussia  on  the  south  side  of  Paris, 
hold  the  city  in  so  tight  a  grip,  that  balloons  and  carrier-pigeons 
are  the  sole  means  of  communication  with  the  outer  world. 

Between  Paris  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin  com¬ 
mands  a  large  force  for  the  reduction  of  Toul  and  Soissons. 

To  the  southeast,  through  the  Gap  of  Belfort,  65,000  Prus¬ 
sians  and  Bavarians  are  streaming  into  France,  threatening 
Lyons  and  Dijon. 

Prince  Albert  is  moving  towards  Orleans  on  the  south,  and 
a  large  Prussian  force  threatens  Rouen  on  the  north. 

All  telegraphic  communication  with  Paris  has  ceased.  The 
Prussians  have  crossed  the  Seine  at  Choisy,  near  the  confluence 
of  the  Marne,  and  advanced  toward  Forts  Ivry  and  Chatillon, 
where  skirmishes  took  place  without  serious  loss  on  either  side. 

They  now  occupy  Clamart,  Meudon,  Villeneuve,  and  Choisy- 
le-Roi  and  Sceaux.  The  French  have  constructed  earthworks 
near  St.  Denis  and  Clamart. 

A  Prussian  force  has  entered  Fontainebleau,  and  made  a  re¬ 
quisition  for  150,000  francs. 

THE  OCCUPATION  OF  VERSAILLES. 

This  morning  an  aide-de-camp  of  General  Von  Kirchbach,  of 
the  Fifth  Corps  (army  Crown  Prince),  followed  by  a  Single  cava¬ 
lier,  presented  himself  before  the  municipal  authorities  of  Ver¬ 
sailles.  The  aide-de-camp  demanded  a  place  for  Prussian 
wounded,  and  the  keys  of  the  stores  for  fodder.  He  then  re¬ 
turned  to  General  Kirchbach  for  consultation.  At  eleven  a.m. 
there  arrived  a  captain  of  engineers,  aide-de-camp  also  to 


310 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


General  Kirchbach.  Two  National  Guards  conducted  him 
to  the  municipality  to  receive  the  surrender  of  the  city. 

Fighting  was  now  going  on  between  General  Vinoy  and  the 
Prussians  a  little  way  to  the  right,  beyond  Sceaux,  to  the  forest 
of  Meudon.  M.  Ranraud,  the  Mayor  of  Versailles,  mounted  a 
stone  before  the  gate  of  the  Avenue  of  Paris,  and  read  the  whole 
text  of  the  capitulation,  signed  by  himself  and  the  delegate  of 
General  Von  Kirchbach  : 

ist.  All  property  and  every  person  will  be  respected,  as  well  as  all  monuments  and  works 
of  art. 

2d.  The  confederates  shall  occupy  all  the  barracks  with  their  soldiers,  but  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  must  lodge  the  officers,  and  in  case  the  barracks  are  insufficient,  the  soldiers  also. 

3d.  The  National  Guards  will  remain  armed,  and  in  the  common  interest  will  be  charged 
with  the  duties  of  police  inside  the  town,  and  in  all  the  posts  there  situated.  Only  the 
confederates  will  occupy,  as  they  require,  the  gates  of  the  barriers. 

4th.  There  shall  be  no  contribution  in  money,  but  the  town  must  furnish,  at  the  market 
price,  all  that  will  be  necessary  to  the  armies  passing  through,  as  well  as  to  those  stationed 
in  Versailles. 

5th.  The  same  day  the  gates  of  the  city  shall  be  opened  to  the  passage  of  the  Fifth 
Corps. 

At  a  quarter  past  twelve,  the  Fifth  Corps  commences  march¬ 
ing  through  Versailles,  lasting  until  five  o’clock  in  the  evening. 
General  Kirchbach  is  installed  at  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs. 
The  artillery  has  bivouacked  on  the  Place  d’Armes,  in  the  Bar¬ 
racks  of  the  Avenue  de  Paris,  and  others  have  gone  to  the 
Barracks  of  Saint  Martin. 

A  CROWD  OF  ZOUAVE  PRISONERS, 
captured  in  the  fight  of  yesterday,  defile  with  the  rest.  The 
crowd  silently  uncovered  as  they  passed  ;  a  few,  however,  raised 
the  cry  “  Vive  la  France  !  ”  Another  little  incident  —  the  first 
aide-de-camp,  with  the  flag  of  truce,  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken,  was  saluted  as  he  passed  along  the  Rue  des  Chantiers 
by  an  individual  who  said  to  him  :  “  Vive  la  France  !  ”  The 
officer  replied  :  “  My  friend,  it  is  ‘  Vive  la  paix  !  ’  that  you  ought 
to  cry.”  As  soon  as  the  great  defile  had  passed,  the  requisi¬ 
tions  began ;  twenty-six  cattle  were  delivered  by  the  town,  ten 
“pieces  of  wine,”  etc.,  and  all  the  forage  of  the  war,  worth 
300,000  francs,  which  the  military  administration  wished  to 
burn,  and  which  the  town  bought  in  view  of  actual  events. 

KING  WILLIAM’S  HEADQUARTERS 
will  be  motfed  from  FenRsres  to  Versailles,  with  his  master, 
Bismarck.  We  say  his  master,  as  it  would  have  been  said  in 
the  past  that  Louis  XIII.  reigned  under  Richelieu.  The  Prus¬ 
sian  army  has  tried  to  make  a  triumphal  entry  into  the  chief 
place  of  Seine  et  Oise,  in  full  dress,  playing  the  national  German 
airs,  as  if  for  a  parade.  The  Prussians  are  orderly.  They  are 
gotten  up  for  a  grand  review,  with  their  mustaches  waxed  and 
cleanly  shaved  faces. 


SEPTEMBER  20.  —  R  OME. 


311 


VERSAILLES. 

The  city  of  Versailles  is  fourteen  miles  from  Paris,  and  is 
the  most  charming  spot  in  France.  The  author  spent  two  days 
in  the  chateau  and  about  the  grounds  in  1867.  It  was  the  fete 
day  of  Napoleon  III.  The  magnificent  fountains  were  illu¬ 
minated,  and  all  Paris  was  out  to  see  the  gorgeous  spectacle. 
To  call  Wilhelmshohe  the  Versailles  of  Germany,  is  to  make  the 
Emperor’s  residence  a  place  of  fairy  enchantment. 

THE  OCCUPATION  OF  ROME. 

The  occupation  of  Rome  by  the  Italian  troops  of  Victor 
Emanuel,  and  the  surrender  of  the  forces  of  Pope  Pio  IX.,  is 
a  part  of  the  present  war.  It  was  absence  of  French  troops 
which  made  the  occupation  possible.  For  years,  Napoleon  III. 
has  bolstered  up  the  Pope  against  the  people  of  Italy.  The 
author,  who  was  a  guest  at  the  American  College  in  Rome  in 
1867,  can  testify  to  the  personal  hatred  of  the  Italian  people 
to  Pope  Pio  IX.  The  Church  got  to  be  a  despotism  —  the 
Pope  temporal  King.  Like  Napoleon,  he  is  in  his  chair  days, 
old  and  imbecile.  Infallibility  is  the  result  of  religious  des¬ 
potism  and  imbecility. 

THE  ATTACK. 

At  five  o’clock  the  Italian  forces  of  General  Cadorna  opened 
the  attack.  The  Pope  had  about  15,000  soldiers,  mostly  par¬ 
doned  convicts  and  foreigners  hired  to  do  his  fighting. 

An  Italian  battery  was  aimed  to  open  a  breach  on  the  right 
side  of  Porta  Pia.  General  Ferrero’s  artillery  assaulted  Porta 
del  Popolo  (one  of  the  principal  gates  of  Rome),  and  Gen. 
Angelini,  who  had  come  from  Naples  only  a  few  hours  before, 
was  opening  breaches  and  doing  hard  work  near  St.  Giovanni 
and  St.  Lorenzo. 

The  fire  had  been  going  for  several  hours,  and  long  columns 
of  black  smoke  rose  in  the  blue  sky.  The  breach  was  half 
effected,  when  in  the  rear  it  was  discovered  that  a  house  be¬ 
longing  to  the  Bonapartes  had  taken  fire. 

ZOUAVE  BAD  FAITH. 

At  nine  precisely,  a  bomb-shell  fell  on  the  roof  of  the  St. 
Agnese  Church,  smashed  the  ceiling,  and  fell  into  the  church. 
An  order  was  immediately  given  to  several  soldiers  to  mount 
to  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  hoist  the  white  flag  of  the  Geneva 
Convention.  Several  wounded  men  had  already  been  brought 
in.  At  half-past  ten  a  strong  fire  of. musketry  was  heard. 


312 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


The  musketry  fire  ceased  later,  and  the  Pontifical  Zouaves 
hoisted  a  white  flag.  The  thirty-fifth  battalion  of  Bersaglieri 
(sharpshooters)  mounted  the  barricade,  when  the  rascally 
Zouaves  fired  again,  killing  on  the  spot  Signor  Patelieri,  the  ma¬ 
jor  of  the  battalion.  A  feeling  of  furious  indignation  seized 
every  Italian  soldier.  Gen.  Caseny,  with  his  wounded  arm,  and 
his  Staff,  marched  in  front,  sword  in  hand,  to  the  barricade.  The 
Fortieth  and  Forty-first  Regiments  of  infantry  followed.  The  first 
officer  who  advanced  was  Signor  Valuziari,  who  had  been  exiled 
from  Rome  for  eleven  years,  and  was  now  rejoicing  to  see  the 
place  of  his  nativity  again.  Just  as  he  reached  the  top  of  the 
barricade,  he  fell  dead  on  the  ground,  struck  by  a  bullet  in  the 
forehead. 

ROME  SURRENDERS  TO  ITALY. 

The  soldiers  mount  the  barricade  with  gayety  and  laughter. 
The  colonel  of  the  regiment  rides  to  the  very  top  of  the  bar¬ 
ricade,  appears  to  look  proudly  on  his  soldiers,  and  to  care  lit¬ 
tle  for  the  bullets  whistling  about  him.  The  troops  have  occu¬ 
pied  the  gates,  the  Papal  artillery  surrenders,  and  firing  ceases. 
On  the  left  there  is  the  tramp  of  horses,  and  a  long  row  of  car¬ 
riages  in  splendid  livery  appears.  This  is  the  Diplomatic  Corps, 
going  in  grand  procession  to  the  headquarters  of  Gen.  Ca- 
dorna,  to  treat  for  capitulation.  The  barricade  is  strewn  with 
wounded,  and  their  comrades  seize  the  opportunity  to  place 
them  on  litters  and  convey  them  to  the  hospital.  There  is  much 
bloodshed,  and  the  shrieks  of  the  sufferers  are  appalling.  Porta 
Pia  is  in  ruins,  and  covered  with  mattresses  which  had  been 
used  as  breastworks,  and  were  now  on  fire.  But  hundreds  of 
exiles,  with  tears  of  joy  in  their  eyes,  were  happy  in  the  pro¬ 
spect  of  entering  again  their  native  city. 

ZOUAVES  SURRENDER. 

At  the  Piazza  del  Coeli,  the  Italians  received  the  surrender 
of  the  Zouaves,  and  proceeded  to  the  Piazza  Colonna.  The  en¬ 
thusiasm  of  their  reception  at  this  point  was  astonishing.  Old 
men  ran  about  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  waving  their  hats  and 
their  handkerchiefs.  Windows  were  filled  with  ladies  waving 
tricolor  flags  and  ribbons.  The  air  was  filled  with  cries  of  ex¬ 
ultation.  And  now  the  squadriglieri,  for  fear  of  being  mas¬ 
sacred  by  the  people,  had  intrenched  themselves  in  the  square 
of  the  capitol.  They  had  made  a  barricade  of  mattresses,  and 
had  posted  two  pieces  of  artillery  against  the  esplanade  of  the 
Piazza  del  Coeli.  The  bottom  of  the  esplanade  was  occupied 


SEPTEMBER  20.—  ROME. 


313 


by  bersaglieri,  and  the  squadriglieri  fired  three  times  on  them, 
but  doing  no  harm.  A  regiment  of  infantry  arriving  on  the  square 
by  back  streets,  had  surprised  the  squadriglieri ,  and  had  made 
them  all  prisoners. 

ENTHUSIASM  OF  THE  ROMANS. 

The  General  commanding  was  actually  besieged  by  men, 
women,  and  children  kissing  his  hands  and  the  very  legs  of  his 
horse,  and  crying,  “  Long  live  our  liberators  !  ”  About  fifty 
men  ran  up  the  staircase  of  the  capitol,  broke  open  the  doors, 
ascended  the  towers,  and  hoisted  the  Italian  flag.  The  event 
foretold  by  Cavour,  and  which  had  influenced  every  act  of  the 
Italian  people  for  eleven  years,  was  now  fulfilled.  Bells  pealed. 
The  military  band  played  the  Royal  march.  Thousands  of 
people  shouted,  “  Long  live  Victor  Emanuel.” 

AN  ILLUMINATION. 

At  nine  p.m.  the  streets  were  brilliantly  illuminated  and 
crowded  with  people.  Bands  of  200  or  300  persons  with  tri¬ 
color  flags  and  torchlights  paraded  the  streets.  Every  Roman 
has  one  of  the  bersaglieri  by  the  arm  ;  the  women  beg  the 
feathers  of  their  hats,  and  kiss  them.  Old  men  and  women  are 
seen  embracing  the  soldiers  of  Italy,  holding  them  tight  by  the 
waist,  and  crying,  “Don’t  leave  us.”  The  Corso  looks  like 
a  fairy  scene,  with  thousands  of  colored  lamps,  and  houses  cov¬ 
ered  with  flags.  Bengal  fires  illuminated  the  stately  Coliseum, 
and  voices  of  men  and  women  cried  vivas  in  the  midst  of  the 
amphitheatre. 

A  PROCLAMATION  TO  THE  ROMANS. 

The  following  proclamation  was  posted  up  throughout  the 
city  : 

“  Romans  !  The  excellence  of  our  right  and  the  valor  of  our  arms  have 
in  a  few  hours  brought  me  among  you  to  restore  to  you  liberty.  Now 
your  destinies,  those  of  the  nation  itself,  lie  in  your  own  hands.  Strong  by 
your  sufferings,  Italy  will  at  least  have  the  glory  of  solving  that  great  prob¬ 
lem  which  has  been  so  terrible  a  burden  to  modern  society.  Thanks,  Ro¬ 
mans,  also,  in  the  name  of  the  army,  for  the  heartfelt  reception  you  have 
given  us  !  Continue  to  preserve,  as  you  did  to  this  day,  public  order,  because 
without  it  there  is  no  liberty  possible.  Romans  !  the  morning  of  the  20th 
September,  1870,  makes  a  memorable  epoch  in  history.  Rome  is  again 
restored,  to  be  now  and  forever  the  great  capital  of  a  great  nation.  Long 
live  the  King  !  Long  live  Italy  !  R.  Cadorna.” 

Gen.  Cadorna  addressed  to  the  army  an  order  of  the  day,  in 
which  he  expresses  his  high  satisfaction  for  their  conduct  dur¬ 
ing  the  attack. 

14 


314 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


TERMS  OF  THE  SURRENDER. 

Capitulation  for  the  Surrender  of  the  City  of  Rome ,  stipulated  between  the  Com¬ 
manding  General  of  the  Troops  of  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy ,  and  the  Com¬ 
manding  General  of  the  Papal  Troops ,  respectively  represented  by  the  wider- 
signed  : 

Villa  Albani,  Sept.  20,  1870. 

First :  The  City  of  Rome,  except  that  part  which  is  limited  to  the  southern  part  of  the 
walls  of  the  Sante  Spirito,  and  comprehends  Mount  Vatican  and  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo, 
forming  the  so-called  Leonine  City,  its  complete  armament,  flags,  arms,  ammunition,  and 
stores.  All  the  material  belonging  to  the  Government  shall  be  consigned  to  the  troops  of 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy. 

Second :  All  the  garrison  of  the  city  shall  depart,  receiving  the  honors  of  war,  with  flags, 
arms,  and  baggage.  After  the  honors  shall  have  been  rendered  to  them,  they  will  laydown 
flags  and  arms.  The  officers  shall  have  a  right  to  carry  with  them  their  swords,  horses, 
and  anything  belonging  to  them.  The  foreign  troops  shall  leave  first ;  the  others  will  fol¬ 
low,  in  the  order  of  battle,  with  the  left  in  front.  The  garrison  will  leave  to-morrow  morn¬ 
ing  at  seven. 

Third  :  The  foreign  troops  shall  be  disbanded,  and  immediately  sent  back  to  their  re¬ 
spective  countries.  They  will  leave  to-morrow  by  railway.  The  Government  has  the  right 
of  taking  into  consideration  the  rights  of  pension  which  tney  might  have  stipulated  with  the 
Papal  Government. 

Fourth  :  The  Roman  troops  will  be  formed  at  a  depot  without  arms.  The  Govern¬ 
ment  will  take  into  consideration  their  claims  as  to  their  future  situation. 

Fifth  :  The  troops  will  be  forwarded  to-morrow  to  Civita  Vecchia. 

Sixth  :  A  mixed  commission  will  be  appointed,  formed  of  an  officer  of  artillery,  one  of 
the  engineers,  and  a  functionary  of  the  Administration.  The  Commission  will  receive  the 
consignment  referred  to  in  the  fixed  article  for  the  City  of  Rome. 

F.  Ranolta,  Chief  of  Staff,  Papal  Army. 

F.  D.  Princiano,  Chief  of  Staff,  Italian  Army. 

F.  Cadorna,  General  Commanding  Italian  Army. 

Seen,  approved,  and  ratified  by  the  General  commanding  Rome.  Kanzler. 

A  TOUCHING  SCENE. 


The  men  who  were  wounded  the  other  day  were  brought  into  the  city 
and  carried  to  the  hospital  of  San  Giovanni.  They  were  literally  cov¬ 
ered  over  with  flowers,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  the  am¬ 
bulances  could  advance,  so  great  was  the  crowd.  The  people  were  shout¬ 
ing  as  loud  as  they  possibly  could,  but  when  some  one  reminded  them  that 
their  cries  would  do  the  wounded  men  harm  rather  than  good,  perfect  si¬ 
lence  ensued  in  an  instant,  and  all  waved  their  hats  and  haiidkerchiefs 
without  zitterittg  a  word.  The  losses  of  the  army  are  about  200  killed  and 
wounded.  Before  signing  the  capitulation,  Gen.  Cadorna  asked  Gen.  Kanz¬ 
ler  whether  he  believed  that  the  200  men  left  with  the  Pope  would  really 
suffice  to  keep  order.  Gen.  Kanzler’ s  answer  was  so  positive,  that  the 
terms  were  agreed  to  without  any  other  observation. 


RECEPTION  OF  THE  LIBERATORS. 

In  the  morning,  Gen.  Cadorna  and  his  staff  entered  the  city  by  the  Porta 
Pia.  The  balconies  bent  under  the  weight  of  so  many  people.  The  very 
houses  seemed  to  move,  for  the  banners  and  the  thousands  of  waving  hand¬ 
kerchiefs  hid  every  inch  of  wall  and  roof  from  sight.  The  soldiers  seemed 
delighted  at  the  universal  ovation.  As  they  passed  an  imposing  structure, 
the  soldiers  nearest  the  crowd  asked,  in  a  hurry,  “  What’s  that?”  “  Co- 
lonna  Trajana,”  was  the  answer,  and  that  name  was  repeated  by  each  sol¬ 
dier  with  an  air  of  admiration  and  astonishment.  Gen.  Cadorna  alighted 
at  the  Piazza  Colonna.  He  witnessed  from  the  balcony  the  defile  of  the 
whole  division,  and  then  retired,  but  the  cheers  of  the  thousands  who  filled 
the  square  compelled  him  to  show  himself  to  the  people.  Waving  his 
handkerchief,  he  cried : 


FAVRE,  BISMARCK,  PEA  QE. 


315 


“  LONG  LIVE  ROME,  THE  CAPITAL  OF  ITALY.” 

It  was  the  first  time  that  such  words  had  been  pronounced  by  a  person 
of  official  station,  and  their  reception  by  the  people  was  indescribable. 

THE  PAPAL  PRISONERS. 

They  were  sixteen  thousand  in  number,  eight  thousand  of  them  good  sol¬ 
diers,  the  other  eight  thousand  worthless.  The  conduct  of  the  men  was 
disgusting.  Many  of  the  Zouaves  were  quite  drunk  ;  the  officers  had  cigars 
in  their  mouths,  and  as  they  passed  Gen.  Cadorna’s  horse,  they  blew  smoke 
at  him.  The  General  was  so  indignant,  that  he  called  to  one  of  them,  and 
said,  “We  render  you  the  honors  of  arms,  though  you  do  not  deserve  it  ; 
but  it  is  your  duty  to  bow  to  a  superior.  Take  off  your  hat,  sir  !”  As 
the  French  of  the  Legion  of  Antibes  passed  by,  they  looked  up  to  the  General 
with  a  provoking  air,  and  shouted,  “A  votes  revoir,  villains  !  ”  “  Italians, 
a  bientot !  ”  and  similar  cries. 

POPULAR  DEMONSTRATION  AGAINST  THE^OPE.' 

After  the  Papal  troops  had  left  the  Leonine  city,  in  a  few  minutes  the 
space  in  front  of  the  Vatican  was  full  of  people  waving  tricolored  cockades, 
who,  looking  up  toward  the  Papal  residence,  began  hissing  and  howling  in  a 
frightful  manner. 

THE  POPE  BECAME  ALARMED, 

and  sent  immediately  for  Count  Arnim.  On  the  entrance  of  the  Prussian 
Minister,  the  Pope  came  forward  and  begged  that  he  would  go  at  once  to 
Gen.  Cadorna,  and  ask  him  to  send  some  troops  to  reestablish  order.  The 
Pope,  seeing  no  way  to  escape,  wrote  an  autograph  letter  to  Gen.  Cadorna, 
asking  him  to  send  the  Italian  soldiers  to  protect  him  from  the  populace. 
Gen.  Cadorna  telegraphed  to  Florence  for  instructions,  and  the  Pope’s  de¬ 
mand  was  complied  with. 

A  CONTRAST. 

Can  a  state  of  things  last  long,  in  which  liberty  and  civilization  are  di¬ 
vided  from  ignorance  and  despotism  only  by  a  river,  so  that  while  men  enjoy 
on  this  side  all  the  blessings  coming  from  an  enlightened  government,  on 
the  other  side  men  as  patriotic  as  they  must  serve  and  suffer  under  Papal 
rule;  so  that  the  soldiers  of  King  Victor  Emanuel  in  the  morning  defend 
Italian  independence  and  in  the  evening  Papal  tyranny? 

ROYAL  HONORS  ACCORDED  TO  THE  POPE. 

The  Pope  desiring  to  drive  through  the  city,  Cadorna  gave  orders  that 
he  should  have  the  same  honors  paid  to  him  as  to  the  King,  and  the  cardi¬ 
nals  the  same  as  those  given  to  princes  of  the  royal  blood. 

PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS  FAIL.  \S 

Wednesday,  Sept.  21.  — Jules  Favre  returns  to  Paris  from  his 
consultation  with  Bismarck,  and  reports  that  the  King  of  Prus¬ 
sia  “  requires  the  cession  of  Alsace  atid  Lorraine,  and  immedi¬ 
ate  possession  of  Metz,  Strasburg ,  and  Mont  Valerien." 

M.  Favre  concedes  on  the  part  of  France  '•'■an  indemnity 
reimbursing  Prussia  for  the  cost  of  the  war ,  the  dismantling 


316 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


of  Metz  and  Strasburg  and  other  fortifications ,  but  not  one 
inch  of  French  territory.” 


The  French  Ministry  proclaims  war  to  the  last  extremity, 
and  says,  “  Rather  than  give  up  French  territory,  Paris  will 


bury  herself  beneath  her  own  ruins.” 

Bismarck  and  Favre  have  a  diplomatic  dispute,  and  a  ques¬ 
tion  of  veracity  arises.  The  Crown  Prince  at  Versailles. 

NEGOTIATIONS  FOR  PEACE. 

FAVRE  AND  BISMARCK  MEET  AND  DISAGREE. 


Lord  Granville  sought  the  interview  between  M.  Favre, 
the  Vice-President  of  the  Republic,  and  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs,  and  Count  Von  Bismarck,  to  prevent  further  bloodshed. 
Bismarck,  believing  France  was  crushed,  asked  exorbitant  de¬ 
mands.  Had  his  demands  been  within  reason,  France  would 
have  accepted  them,  and  there  would  have  been  peace  in  Eu¬ 
rope  to-day.  If  France  made  the  war,  the  verdict  of  humanity 
is,  that  Prussia  has  continued  it.  History  will  dwell  upon  the 
failure  of  M.  Favre’s  mission  as  a  lamentable  mistake  in  diplo¬ 
macy,  and  from  yesterday  the  burden  of  war  will  be  upon  the 
shoulders  of  Prussia. 

Prussia  may  gain  territory  by  a  prolongation,  of  the  warp  but  at 
whafffrcost !  The  tbixsi-^f-Bismarck  is  for  territory  —  territory. 
As  yef;  nb'*European  nation  has  dared  to  criticise  tins  desireT 
Engl  ant!  Ts  "timid,..  Au&toalqs  powerless,  and  Russia  is' busy  with 
her  thoughts  on  Turkey  and  her  eyes  on  the' Bosphorus'. 

The  first  interview  between  Favre  and  Bismarck  occurred 
on  the  ioth  of  September  at  Rheims,  which  is  thus  described 
by  M.  Favre  in  his  report  to  his  colleagues  in  Paris  : 

France  having  declared  war  in  the  beginning,  our  desire  for  peace  did 
not  look  plain  to  the  world.  Our  situation  was  untenable.  It  permitted 
the  enemy  to  lay  upon  us  the  responsibility  of  continuing  the  struggle  ;  it 
condemned  us  to  ascertain  her  intentions  for  ourselves ;  it  was  nec¬ 
essary  to  escape  from  the  position.  I  believed  myself  bound  to  obey 
an  imperious  necessity.  One  time  I  told  you  of  the  agitation  of  my  mind, 
and  I  said  that  it  would  be  at  rest  only  when  I  had  done  everything  that 
was  possible  for  man  to  do  to  bring  this  horrible  war  to  an  honorable  con¬ 
clusion.  Recalling  the  conversation  which  arose  from  this  beginning,  I 
feared  some  objections,  and  I  was  decided.  I  wished,  in  meeting  M.  de 
Bismarck,  to  be  free  from  every  engagement,  in  order  to  have  the  privilege 
of  not  making  any.  I  make  these  acknowledgments  sincerely.  I  make 
them  to  the  country,  in  order  to  release  you  from  a  responsibility  which  I 
alone  assume.  If  my  mission  be  a  mistake,  I  alone  must  bear  the  penalty. 


PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS,  SEPTEMBER  21. 


317 


THE  JOURNEY  TO  THE  PRUSSIAN  HEADQUARTERS. 

We  moved  toward  the  enemy  by  the  Porte  de  Charenton.  I  suppress  all 
the  details  of  this  unhappy  journey,  which  was  full  of  interest,  but  the  inci¬ 
dents  of  which  would  not  be  in  their  place  in  this  report.  Conducted  to 
Villeneuve-Saint-Georges,  where  was  the  General-in-Chief  commanding 
the  Sixth  Corps,  I  learned  rather  late  in  the  afternoon  that  the  headquar¬ 
ters  were  at  Meaux.  The  General  proposed  to  me  to  send  an  officer  as 
bearer  of  the  following  letter,  which  I  had  prepared  for  transmission  to  M. 
de  Bismarck  : 

M.  le  Comte  — I  have  always  believed,  that,  before  undertaking  serious  hostilities 
under  the  walls  of  Paris,  it  were  possible  that  an  honorable  arrangement  could  be  at¬ 
tempted.  The  person  who  had  the  honor  of  waiting  on  your  Excellency  two  days  ago 
has  made  me  gather  from  his  words  the  expression  on  your  part  of  a  similar  desire.  I 
have  come  to  the  avant-postes  to  put  myself  at  the  disposition  of  your  Excellency.  I  ex¬ 
pect  you  will  let  me  know  how  and  where  I  can  have  the  honor  of  conferring  with  you  for 
a  few  moments.  —  I  have,  etc. 

Jules  Favre. 

We  were  separated  by  a  distance  of  forty-eight  kilometres.  The  next 
morning,  at  six  o’clock,  I  received  a  reply  of  which  this  is  a  copy  : 

I  have  not  received  the  letter  your  Excellency  has  had  the  goodness  to  write  to  me, 
and  it  will  give  me  the  greatest  pleasure  if  you  will  come  to  see  me  to-morrow  here  at 
Meaux.  Prince  Biron,  the  bearer  of  this,  will  see  that  your  Excellency  is  conducted 
across  our  lines. — I  have,  etc. 

De  Bismarck. 

At  nine  o’clock  the  escort  was  ready,  and  I  left  with  it.  When  we  ar¬ 
rived  near  Meaux,  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  I  was  stopped  by  an 
aide-de-camp,  who  told  me  that  Count  Bismarck  had  left  Meaux  with  the 
king,  to  go  to  Ferrieres  for  the  night.  I  went  back,  and  proceeded  to  a 
farm  which  had  been  pillaged,  as  were  all  the  houses  which  I  passed  on  my 
route.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  M.  de  Bismarck  joined  me.  It  was  diffi¬ 
cult  for  us  to  consult  in  such  a  place.  One  habitation  —  the  Chateau  de 
la  Haute  Maison,  belonging  to  the  Count  de  Rillac  —  was  in  the  vi¬ 
cinity,  and  we  proceeded  thither.  Our  conversation  took  place  in  a  sa¬ 
loon,  in  which  debris  of  all  sorts  was  lying  about. 

THE  DIPLOMATIC  TALK. 

I  at  once  specified  the  object  of  my  mission.  Having  made  him  acquain¬ 
ted,  by  my  circular  [ see  Sept.  6.  —  p.  278],  with  the  intentions  of  the  French 
Government,  I  wished  to  know  those  of  the  Prussian  Minister.  It  seemed 
to  me  inexcusable  that  two  nations  should,  without  previous  explanations, 
continue  a  terrible  war,  which  would  inflict  deep  suffering  on  the  conquer¬ 
ors,  notwithstanding  the  advantages  they  had  gained.  Caused  by  the 
power  of  one  man,  this  war  had  no  longer  a  raiso?i  d'etre  when  France 
had  become  mistress  of  herself.  I  pledged  myself  for  her  love  of  peace, 
but  at  the  same  time  for  her  indomitable  resolution  not  to  accept  any  con¬ 
dition  which  should  make  that  peace  a  brief  and  threatening  truce.  M.  de 
Bismarck  said  that  if  he  believed  such  a  peace  was  possible,  he  would  sign  it 
at  once.  The  Opposition  had  always  condemned  the  war.  But  the  power 
which  that  Opposition  represented  was  no  longer  anything  but  precarious. 
If  within  a  few  days  Paris  were  not  taken,  it  would  be  overthrown  by  the 
mob.  I  interrupted  him  to  say  that  we  had  not  a  mere  mob  at  Paris,  but  a 
population  which  was  intelligent  and  devoted,  which  knew  our  intentions, 
and  which  would  not  make  itself  an  accomplice  of  the  enemy  in  obstructing 
our  defence. 

FRANCE  WILL  NOT  FORGET  SEDAN. 

As  regarded  our  power,  we  were  ready  to  place  it  in  the  hands  of  the 


318 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Assembly  already  convoked.  “  This  Assembly,”  replied  the  Count,  “will 
have  designs  which  nothing  can  make  us  foresee.  But,  if  it  obey  the  senti¬ 
ment  of  France,  it  will  wish  for  war.  You  will  no  more  forget  the  capitu¬ 
lation  of  Sedan  than  Waterloo,  than  Sadowa,  which  did  not  concern  you.” 
Then  he  insisted  at  length  on  the  wish  of  France,  the  accomplishment  of 
which  had  been  prevented,  to  attack  Germany,  and  to  take  away  a  part 
fo  its  territory.  From  the  time  of  Louis  XIV.  to  that  of  Napoleon  III. 
her  tendencies  had  not  changed,  and  when  war  was  declared,  the  Corps 
Legislatif  had  received  the  words  of  the  Minister  with  acclamation.  I 
remarked  to  him  that  the  majority  of  the  Corps  Legislatif  had  some  weeks 
before  called  out  for  peace  ;  that  that  majority,  chosen  by  the  monarch, 
had  believed  itself  bound  to  follow  him  blindly  ;  but  that  the  nation,  which 
had  been  consulted  twice,  at  the  elections  of  1869,  and  at  the  vote  on  the 
plebiscite,  had  persistently  clung  to  a  policy  of  peace  and  liberty. 

BISMARCK  WANTS  FRENCH  TERRITORY,  v 

The  conversation  on  this  subject  was  prolonged  —  the  Count  maintaining 
his  opinion,  whilst  I  defended  mine  ;  and,  as  I  pressed  him  strongly  on 
these  conditions,  he  replied  in  effect,  that  the  security  of  his  country  com¬ 
manded  him  to  guard  the  territory  which  protected  it.  He  repeated  seve¬ 
ral  times,  “  Strasburg  is  the  key  of  the  house;  I  must  have  it.”  I  then 
asked  him  to  be  more  explicit.  “  It  is  useless,”  he  replied,  “  since  we  cannot 
listen  to  you.  It  is  a  matter  to  arrange  later.”  I  asked  him  to  do  it  at 
once.  He  said  then  that  the  two  Departments  of  Bas  Rhin  and  Haut  Rhin, 
a  part  of  the  Moselle,  with  Metz,  Chateau-Salins,  and  Senones,  were  in¬ 
dispensable,  and  that  he  could  not  give  them  up  in  the  negotiation.  I  then 
remarked  that  the  assent  of  the  people  of  whom  he  was  thus  disposing  was 
more  than  doubtful,  and  that  the  public  opinion  of  Europe  would  not  be 
satisfied  with  it.  “  I  know  well,”  he  replied,  “that  they  are  not  with  us. 
They  will  impose  an  unpleasant  job  on  us,  but  we  cannot  suffer  it.  I  am 
sure  that  in  a  short  time  we  shall  have  a  new  war  with  you.  We  wish  to 
make  it  with  all  our  advantages.” 

FAVRE  PROTESTS. 

I  protested,  as  I  should,  against  such  solutions  of  the  question.  I  said 
that  two  important  elements  of  the  discussion  had  been  forgotten :  Europe, 
which  would  find  these  proposals  to  be  exorbitant,  and  oppose  them  ;  then 
the  new  right — the  progress  of  civilization  and  manners  —  which  was  op¬ 
posed  to  such  conditions.  I  added  that,  so  far  as  we  were  concerned,  we 
would  never  accept  them.  We  could,  I  stated,  perish  as  a  nation,  but  we 
would  not  suffer  dishonor;  besides,  the  country  alone  was  competent  to 
decide  regarding  a  cession  of  territory.  We  have  no  doubt  about  its  feel¬ 
ing,  but  we  are  willing  to  consult  it.  Opposite  to  it  Prussia  is  arrayed  ; 
and,  to  be  brief,  it  is  clear  that,  influenced  by  the  intoxication  of  victory, 
she  wishes  for  the  destruction  of  France.  The  Count  protested,  taking  his 
position  behind  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  national  guarantee. 

BISMARCK  REJECTS  AN  ARMISTICE. 

I  continued  :  “If  it  is  not  an  abuse  of  strength  on  your  part  —  conceal¬ 
ing  secret  designs  —  let  us  summon  the  Assembly.  We  will  resign  into  its 
hands  our  powers.  It  will  nominate  a  definitive  Government,  which  will 
consider  your  conditions.”  “For  the  execution  of  this  plan,”  replied  the 
Count,  “  an  armistice  would  be  necessary,  and  I  do  not  wish  for  that  at 
any  price.”  The  conversation  took  a  turn  even  more  and  more  painful. 
Evening  approached.  I  asked  M.  de  Bismarck  for  a  second  interview  at 


WEDNESDAY. ,  SEPTEMBER  21. 


319 


Ferriores,  where  he  was  going  to  stay  for  the  night,  and  we  left,  each  for 
his  own  destination. 

MIDNIGHT  TALK. 

We  then  pursued  the  discussion,  which  was  prolonged  until  midnight.  I 
insisted  particularly  upon  the  necessity  of  summoning  an  Assembly.  The 
Count  appeared  to  become  convinced  by  degrees,  and  to  return  to  the  sub¬ 
ject  of  the  armistice.  I  asked  for  fifteen  days.  We  discussed  the  condi¬ 
tions.  He  expressed  himself  in  a  very  qualified  way,  and  reserved  his  priv¬ 
ilege  of  consulting  the  King.  He  consequently  postponed  our  conversation 
until  the  next  day  at  eleven  o’clock. 

THE  TALK  ON  THE  I9TH. 

I  was  at  the  Chateau  de  Ferrieres  at  eleven  o’clock.  The  Count  left  the 
King  at  11.45,  and  I  heard  from  him  the  conditions  which  were  required 
for  an  armistice.  They  were  contained  in  a  text  written  in  the  German 
language,  of  which  he  gave  me  the  sense  verbally.  (See  Bismarck' s  reply 
following.  — Author.  ) 

He  demanded  as  a  guarantee  the  occupation  of  Strasburg,  of  Toul,  and 
of  Pfalzburg ;  and  as  to  the  demand  of  the  previous  evening,  that  the  As¬ 
sembly  should  meet  at  Paris,  he  desired  in  that  case  to  have  added  a  fort 
commanding  the  city  —  that  of  Mont  Valerien,  for  instance.  At  this 
point  I  interrupted  him  by  saying,  “  It  will  be  much  more  simple  to  ask  us 
for  Paris  itself.  How  can  you  suppose  a  French  Assembly  can  deliberate 
under  your  cannon  ?  I  have  had  the  honor  of  telling  you  that  I  shall 
faithfully  transmit  our  interview  to  the  Government ;  but  I  really  do  not 
know  that  I  dare  tell  them  you  have  made  to  me  such  a  proposition.” 
“Let  us  seek  another  combination,”  he  replied.  Then  I  spoke  to  him  of 
the  Assembly  meeting  at  Tours,  and  of  no  material  guarantee  being  given 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Paris.  He  then  proposed  to  speak  of  this  proposi¬ 
tion  to  the  King,  and,  returning  to  the  question  of  the  occupation  of  Stras¬ 
burg,  he  added:  “The  city  is  about  to  fall  into  our  hands — it  is  now 
only  a  question  of  days;  so  I  ask  that  the  garrison  should  surrender  them¬ 
selves  prisoners  of  war.” 

FAVRE  MOVED  BY  GRIEF. 

At  those  words  I  was  moved  by  grief,  and,  rising,  I  said,  “You  forget 
that  you  are  speaking  to  a  Frenchman,  Count.  To  sacrifice  an  heroic 
garrison  —  the  admiration  of  ourselves  and  of  the  entire  world  —  would  be 
a  piece  of  cowardice  ;  and  I  do  not  promise  that  I  shall  not  say  you  at¬ 
tempted  to  impose  such  a  condition.”  The  Count  replied  that  he  had  no 
intention  to  wound  me —  that  he  only  conformed  to  the  laws  of  war  ;  and 
that,  if  the  King  consented,  that  article  might  be  modified.  He  then  went 
and  saw  the  King,  and,  returning  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  said  His  Majesty 
accepted  the  proposition  with  regard  to  Tours,  but  insisted  on  the  garrison 
of  Strasburg  being  retained  as  prisoners  of  war.  My  strength  was  now 
exhausted,  and  for  an  instant  1  feared  it  would  fail  me  altogether.  I 
turned  to  hide  the  emotion  which  nearly  choked  me,  and,  apologizing  for 
my  involuntary  weakness,  I  took  my  leave  with  these  simple  words:  “I 
was  deceived.  Count,  in  coming  here ;  but  I  do  not  repent.  I  have  suffered 
sufficiently  for  my  own  excuse,  and,  moreover,  I  only  came  in  deference  to 
a  sense  of  duty.  I  will  report  to  my  Government  all  that  you  have  told 
me  ;  and  if  they  think  proper  to  send  me  back  to  you,  however  painful  it 
may  be  to  my  own  feelings,  I  shall  have  the  honor  of  seeing  you  again.  I 
am  grateful  to  you  for  the  kindness  you  have  shown  toward  me ;  but  I  fear 


320 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


there  is  no  other  means  remaining  than  to  let  events  take  their  course. 
The  population  of  Paris  Is  courageous,  and  resolved  to  make  any  sacrifice. 
Their  heroism  may  change  the  course  of  events.  Even  if  you  conquer,  you 
will  not  make  them  submit.  All  France  entertains  the  same  sentiments. 
So  long  as  we  can  find  an  element  of  resistance  we  will  fight  you.  It  will 
be  a  struggle  between  two  peoples,  who  ought  rather  to  join  hands.  I  hoped 
for  a  different  solution,  and  I  do  part  deeply  grieved,  but,  nevertheless,  full 
of  hope. 

Receive,  my  dear  colleagues,  the  fraternal  homage  of  my  unalterable 
devotion. 

The  Vice-President  of  the  Government  of  National  Defence,  and 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

Paris,  Sept.  21.  (Signed)  Jules  Favre. 

THE  FRENCH  GOVERNMENT  IN  A  FRENZY. 

The  report  of  M.  Favre  threw  the  Paris  Government  into  a 
frenzy.  The  Bismarck  propositions  were  indignantly  rejected, 
and  M.  Favre  immediately  wrote  the  following  note  to  the 
Prussian  headquarters  :  — 

M.  le  Com pte  —  I  have  faithfully  expressed  to  my  colleagues  in  the  Government  of  the 
National  Defence  the  declaration  that  your  Excellency  has  been  good  enough  to  make  to 
me.  I  regret  to  have  to  make  known  to  your  Excellency  that  the  Government  has  not 
been  able  to  accept  your  propositions.  They  will  accept  an  armistice  having  for  its  object 
the  election  and  meeting  of  a  National  Assembly,  but  they  cannot  subscribe  to  the  contin¬ 
gent  conditions.  As  to  myself,  I  can  say  with  a  clear  conscience  that  I  have  done  my 
utmost  to  stop  the  effusion  of  blood,  and  to  restore  peace  to  two  nations  which  would  be  so 
much  benefited  by  that  blessing.  I  have  only  been  stopped  by  an  imperious  duty,  which 
required  me  not  to  yield  the  honor  of  my  country,  which  has  determined  energetically  to 
resist  such  a  sacrifice.  I  and  my  colleagues  associate  ourselves  without  reserve  in  that 
determination.  God,  our  Judge,  will  decide  on  our  destinies.  I  have  faith  in  His  Justice. 

I  have,  etc. , 

(Signed)  Jules  Favre. 

September  21,  1870. 

This  circular  of  M.  Favre  to  his  colleagues,  describing  his 
interview  with  Count  Von  Bismarck,  brought  out  the  following 
reply  from  the  Prussian  Vice-Chancellor,  who  in  the  mean 
time  began  to  feel  that  his  demands  upon  M.  Favre  were  a 
little  exorbitant,  and  calculated  to  alienate  the  friends  of 
Prussia  in  Europe  and  America.  The  circular  is  addressed  to 
the  North  German  ambassadors  : 

BISMARCK’S  EXPLANATION. 

Ferrieres,  September  27.  —  The  report  addressed  by  M.  Jules  Favre 
to  his  colleagues  on  the  21st  instant,  regarding  the  conversation  he  had  with 
me,  induces  me  to  make  your  Excellency  a  communication  which  will  enable 
you  to  form  an  accurate  idea  of  the  course  these  conversations  took. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that,  on  the  whole,  M.  Favre  has  endeavored 
to  render  a  correct  account  of  what  took  place  between  us.  If  he  has  not 
been  always  successful,  it  must  be  ascribed  to  the  length  of  our  conferences 
and  the  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  they  occurred.  I  must,  how¬ 
ever,  object  to  the  entire  tendency  of  his  exposition,  and  insist  on  the  fact 
that  the  principal  subject  we  had  to  discuss  was  not  the  conclusion  of  a 
treaty  of  peace,  but  that  of  an  armistice  by  which  it  was  to  be  preceded. 


PEACE  NEGOTIATIONS ,  SEPTEMBER  21. 


321 


In  regard  to  the  demands  we  should  advance,  before  signing  a  definite 
treaty  of  peace,  I  expressly  stated  to  M.  Jules  Favre  that  I  declined  to  en¬ 
ter  into  the  subject  of  the  new  frontier  claimed  by  us  till  the  principle  of  a 
cession  of  territory  had  been  openly  acknowledged  by  France.  In  connec¬ 
tion  with  this  declaration,  the  formation  of  a  new  Department  of  the  Mo¬ 
selle,  containing  the  circumscription  of  Saarburg,  Chateau-Salins,  Saarge- 
mund,  Metz,  and  Thionville,  was  mentioned  by  me  as  an  arrangement  in 
consonance  with  our  intentions  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  I  in  no  way  re¬ 
nounced  our  right  to  make  additional  stipulations  in  a  treaty  of  peace,  in 
proportion  to  the  sacrifices  which  should  be  imposed  on  us  by  lengthening 
the  war. 

Strasburg,  a  place  described  by  M.  Favre  as  the  key  of  the  house —  an 
expression  which  left  it  still  doubtful  whether  France  was  the  house  in  ques¬ 
tion  —  was  expressly  declared  by  myself  to  be  the  key  of  our  house,  which 
we  therefore  did  not  desire  to  leave  in  foreign  hands. 

“TAKE  OUR  GOLD,  BUT  LEAVE  OUR  COUNTRY.” 

Our  first  conversation,  in  the  castle  of  Haute  Maison,  near  Montry,  did 
not  go  beyond  an  academical  disquisition  on  the  present  and  the  past,  the 
pith  and  marrow  of  which  were  contained  in  a  declaration  on  the  part  of 
M.  Favre  of  his  readiness  to  yield  tout  I  argent  que  nous  avons,  while  he 
refused  to  entertain  the  idea  of  a  cession  of  territory.  When  I  spoke  of 
such  a  cession  as  being  indispensable,  he  declared  that  negotiations  for 
peace  would  have  no  prospect  of  suc'cess,  and  maintained  that  to  part  with 
any  portion  of  her  territory  would  be  humiliating  and  dishonoring  for 
France.  I  was  not  able  to  convince  him  that  conditions,  the  fulfilment  of 
which  France  had  obtained  from  Italy  and  demanded  of  Germany,  without 
having  been  at  war  with  either  of  these  countries  —  conditions  which 
France  would  no  doubt  have  imposed  on  us  had  we  been  conquered,  and 
which  had  been  the  inevitable  consequence  of  nearly  every  war,  even  in 
modern  times,  would  not  be  ignominious  to  a  country  which  had  succumbed 
after  a  brave  resistance  ;  and  besides  that,  the  honor  of  France  was  not 
something  essentially  different  from  that  of  all  other  nations.  I  was 
equally  unsuccessful  in  persuading  M.  Favre  that  the  restoration  of  Stras¬ 
burg  no  more  implied  dishonor  than  the  cession  of  Landau  or  Saarlouis, 
and  that  the  violent  and  unjust  conquests  of  Louis  XIV.  were  not  more 
closely  bound  up  with  the  honor  of  France  than  those  of  the  first  Republic 
or  the  First  Empire. 

A  QUESTION  OF  VERACITY. — AN  ARMISTICE. 

Our  conferences  took  a  more  practical  turn  in  Ferrieres,  where  we  ex¬ 
clusively  discussed  the  question  of  an  armistice  —  a  fact  which  refutes  the 
statement  that  I  declared  I  would  accept  an  armistice  under  no  circum¬ 
stances  whatever.  The  manner  in  which  M.  Favre  represents  me  as  saying 
with  reference  to  this  and  other  questions  :  “  II  faudrait  un  armistice  et 
je  n'en  veux  d  aucun  prix ,”  and  other  things  of  the  same  kind,  obliges  me 
to  rectify  his  statements,  and  add  that  in  similar  conversations  I  have  never 
made  use,  and  never  do  employ  such  phraseology  as  that  I  personally  wish 
or  require  or  approve  of  anything.  I  constantly  speak  of  the  intentions 
and  demands  of  the  Government  whose  representative  I  am. 

In  this  conversation  both  parties  agreed  in  considering  the  necessity  of 
giving  the  French  nation  an  opportunity  of  choosing  who  alone  would  be  in 
a  position  to  grant  the  present  Government  powers  sufficient  to  enable 
them  to  conclude  a  peace  sanctioned  by  international  law,  as  the  reason  of 
14* 


THE  FRA  HC  O-PR  US  ST  AN  WAR. 


2 


an  armistice.  I  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  an  armistice  was  always 
a  military  disadvantage  for  an  army  engaged  in  a  victorious  advance  ;  that, 
in  the  present  case,  it  was  a  most  important  gain  in  point  of  time  for  the 
defence  of  France  and  the  reorganization  of  her  army  ;  and  that  we,  there¬ 
fore,  could  not  grant  an  armistice,  unless  military  equivalents  were  offered. 
As  such  I  mentioned  the  surrender  of  the  fortresses  which  impeded  our 
communications  with  Germany,  for,  as  a  truce  would  prolong  the  period 
during  which  we  had  to  support  our  army,  concessions  facilitating  the  trans¬ 
port  of  supplies  must  be  the  preliminary  condition  of  granting  it.  Stras¬ 
burg,  Toul,  and  some  smaller  places  were  the  objects  of  this  discussion. 
With  respect  to  Strasburg,  I  urged  that  since  the  glacis  had  been  crowned, 
its  capture  must  shortly  be  expected,  and  we  therefore  thought  the  military 
situation  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  garrison,  while  those  who  held  the 
other  fortresses  would  be  permitted  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war. 

PARIS  CONSIDERED. 

Another  difficult  question  referred  to  Paris.  Since  we  had  completely 
surrounded  the  city  we  could  only  permit  the  admission  of  new  supplies  on 
the  condition  that  the  new  provisioning  of  the  town  did  not  weaken  our  own 
military  position,  and  protract  the  period  necessary  to  reduce  the  city  by 
hunger.  After  consulting  the  military  authorities,  1  accordingly  offered,  at 
the  command  of  his  Majesty  the  King,  the  following  alternatives  with 
respect  to  Paris  :  Either  the  position  of  Paris  must  be  conceded  to  us  by 
the  surrender  of  a  commanding  part  of  the  fortifications,  in  which  case  we 
are  prepared  to  permit  free  intercourse  with  Paris,  and  not  to  hinder  the 
new  provisioning  of  the  city. 

Or  the  position  of  Paris  need  not  be  conceded.  In  which  case,  however, 
we  could  not  consent  to  give  up  the  investment,  but  must  insist  on  the  con¬ 
tinuation  of  the  military  status  quo  before  that  city  as  the  basis  of  the 
urmistice,  as  otherwise  at  the  end  of  that  period  we  should  be  opposed  to 
Paris  being  provisioned  and  armed  anew. 

M.  Favre  distinctly  rejected  the  first  alternative,  containing  the  surrender 
of  a  part  of  the  fortifications  of  Paris,  as  well  as  the  condition  that  the  gar¬ 
rison  of  Strasburg  should  be  made  prisoners  of  war.  On  the  other  hand  he 
promised  to  consult  his  colleagues  as  to  the  second  alternative,  containing 
the  retention  of  the  military  status  quo  of  Paris. 

The  programme  which  M.  Favre  took  back  with  him  to  Paris  as  the 
result  of  our  conversation,  and  which  has  been  discussed  there  accordingly, 
did  not  contain  anything  whatever  as  to  the  terms  of  the  future  peace,  but 
only  the  granting  of  an  armistice  of  from  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks  to  pre¬ 
pare  the  way  for  the  election  of  a  National  Assembly  under  the  following 
conditions : 

I.  The  continuation  of  the  status  quo  in  and  before  Paris. 

II.  The  continuation  of  hostilities  in  and  around  Metz  for  a  certain 
distance,  the  extent  of  which  was  still  to  be  determined. 

III.  The  surrender  of  Strasburg,  the  garrison  of  which  were  to  be 
made  prisoners  of  war,  and  of  Toul  and  Bitche,  their  garrisons  being 
permitted  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war. 

I  believe  that  our  convictions  that  we  made  very  conciliatory  offers  will 
be  shared  by  all  neutral  cabinets. 

If  the  French  Government  has  resolved  not  to  use  the  opportunity  offered 
of  proceeding  to  the  election  of  a  National  Assembly,  even  within  the  parts 


BISMARCK—  FAVRE,  SEPTEMBER  21. 


323 


of  France  occupied  by  us,  it  shows  its  resolution  not  to  get  rid  of  the  diffi¬ 
culties  which  prevent  the  conclusion  of  a  peace  in  accordance  with  interna¬ 
tional  law,  and  not  to  listen  to  the  public  opinions  of  the  French  people. 
That  free  and  general  elections  would  lead  to  results  favorable  to  peace  is 
a  conviction  which  forces  itself  upon  us  here,  and  which  can  hardly  have 
escaped  those  in  power  in  Paris. 

I  take  the  liberty  of  requesting  your  Excellency  to  bring  the  present  cir¬ 
cular  to  the  notice  of  the  Government  to  which  you  are  accredited. 

Von  Bismarck. 

NAPOLEON  III.  ESTIMATES  THIERS,  FAVRE,  AND  BISMARCK. 

The  ex- Emperor  at  Wilhelmshbhe  gives  the  following  estimate 
of  the  three  men  who  hold  the  diplomatic  destinies  of  Europe 
in  their  hands.  Said  the  ex-Emperor  to  an  English  gentleman  : 

“  Jules  Favre  has  not  ability  enough  to  conduct  a  discussion  with  the 
Minister  of  King  William,  lie  will  wind  him  round  his  finger.  I  have 
been  quite  duped  by  him  —  I,  to  whom  everybody  agrees  in  attributing 
penetration  and  taciturnity.  How,  then,  will  it  fair  with  M.  Favre, 
whose  strength  lies  in  his  too  great  fluency  of  speech  ?  All  these  words 
will  be  turned  against  him  in  the  form  of  an  agreement  with  his  pacific  in¬ 
tentions.  M.  Bismarck  will  throw  the  responsibility  of  a  refusal  on  his 
august  Majesty.  The  talent  of  this  diplomatist  consists  in  his  knowing  how 
to  throw  on  others  the  responsibilities  of  resolutions  that  have  been  taken. 
I  was  without  this  talent  when  at  the  Tuileries,  and  I  paid  dearly  for  this 
defect.  The  Chancellor  of  the  North  is  bent  on  making  all  Europe  think 
that  it  was  the  French  people  who  demanded  the  war,  whereas  in  reality  it 
was  he  and  I  who  alike  wished  it.  If  I  had  been  able  to  persuade  the 
French  that  they  urged  me  to  this  war  I  should  still  be  at  Paris,  or  I  could 
have  returned  without  fear.  The  contrary  occurred,  and  my  fall  and  the 
capitulation  of  Sedan  are  the  consequences  of  that  failure.” 

Shortly  afterwards,  speaking  of  M.  Thiers,  he  said:  “I  was  beaten  at 
Boulogne  [see  p.  85.  — Author],  because,  in  my  simplicity  at  that  time, 
I  confided  in  this  Minister  of  Louis  Philippe,  who  had  promised  me  his 
assistance,  but  only  to  drag  me  into  the  net.  I  troubled  him  in  England. 
He  attracted  me  to  Boulogne  in  order  to  confine  me  at  Ham.” 

“Count  Bismarck,”  the  ex-Emperor  said,  in  chnclusion,  “is  an  able 
man,  but  it  is  his  audacity  that  makes  him  so.  This  is  what  distinguishes 
him  from  Cavour,  the  greatest  politician  I  have  ever  met.  If  Cavour  had 
been  the  Minister  of  King  William,  the  German  empire  would  have  been 
completed,  and  that  without  a  shot.” 

THE  TOURS  GOVERNMENT  EXCITED. 

The  Tours  branch  of  the  French  Government  were  as  highly 
exasperated  at  M.  Favre’s  report  of  Von  Bismarck’s  demands 
as  the  officials  in  Paris,  and  the  Ministry  immediately  issued  the 
following  proclamation  : 

TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  FRANCE. 

Before  the  siege  of  Paris,  Jules  Favre  desired  to  see  Count  Von  Bis¬ 
marck,  to  know  the  intention  of  the  enemy.  The  following  is  the  declara¬ 
tion  of  the  enemy  : 


324 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Prussia  wishes  to  continue  the  war  in  order  to  reduce  France  to  a  sec¬ 
ond-rate  power.  Prussia  demands  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  as  far  as  Metz,  by 
right  of  conquest.  Prussia,  before  consenting  to  an  armistice,  demands  the 
rendition  of  Strasburg,  Toul,  and  Mont  Valerien.  Paris  is  exasperated, 
and  will  rather  bury  herself  beneath  her  ruins.  To  such  insolent  preten¬ 
sions,  we  can  respond  but  by  resistance  to  the  last  extremity.  France 
accepts  the  struggle,  and  counts  upon  her  children. 

Tours,  Sept.  24.  Cremieux. 

Glais-Bizoin. 

Fourichon. 

.  .  bismarck’s  denial. 

The  Proclamation  of  the  Tours  Government  brought  out 
the  following  denial  from  Count  Bismarck,  the  chronology  of 
which  would  come  on  the  6th,  but  it  is  placed  here  the  more 
readily  to  explain  events  : 

Ferrieres,  Saturday ,  Oct.  r,  1870. 

From  reports  in  the  public  journals  it  appears  that  the  delegation  of  the 
French  Government  in  Tours  have  officially  announced  that  I  had  declared 
to  M.  Favre  that  Prussia  would  continue  war  in  order  to  reduce  France  to 
the  condition  of  a  Power  of  the  second  rank.  Although  such  an  expression 
could  only  be  intended  to  influence  a  circle  unacquainted  with  the  language 
used  in  international  negotiations,  and  ignorant  of  the  geography  of  France, 
still  the  circumstance  that  this  official  announcement  bears  the  signatures  of 
Messrs.  Cremieux,  Glais-Bizoin,  and  Fourichon,  gentlemen  belonging  to  the 
Government  of  a  great  European  power,  induces  me  to  request  your  Excel¬ 
lency  to  put  it  in  a  proper  light  in  your  official  intercourse. 

In  my  interview  with  M.  Favre,  the  question  of  peace  was  not  formally 
considered.  At  his  repeated  request  I  communicated  to  the  French  Minis¬ 
ter,  in  general  outline,  the  same  views  which  formed  the  principal  topic  of 
the  circular  dated  Meaux,  September  16.  [See  page  296.  — Author.] 
Demands  exceeding  those  therein  contained  have  never  yet  in  any  way 
beeii  made  by  me. 

The  cession  of  Strasburg  and  Metz,  which  we  seek,  in  territorial  con¬ 
nection  implies  a  reduction  of  French  territory  equal  in  area  to  the  increase 
through  Savoy  and  Nice;  while  the  population  of  these  provinces  obtained 
from  Italy  has  made  that  of  France  750,000  larger.  When  it  is  considered 
that  France,  according  to  the  census  of  1866,  numbered  38,000,000  inhab¬ 
itants  without  Algiers,  and  with  Algiers  (now  furnishing  an  essential  part  of 
the  French  war  forces),  42,000,000,  it  is  palpable  that  a  decrease  of  750,000 
changes  nothing  in  the  importance  of  France  as  against  foreign  countries, 
while  we  leave  to  this  great  Empire  the  same  elements  of  power,  possession 
whereof,  in  the  Eastern  and  Italian  wars,  enabled  it  to  exercise  so  decisive 
an  influence  on  the  destinies  of  Europe. 

These  few  points  will  suffice  to  successfully  oppose  the  logic  of  facts  to 
the  exaggeration  of  the  proclamation  of  the  24th  of  last  month.  I  only 
add,  that  in  communication  with  M.  Favre  I  expressly  directed  his  atten¬ 
tion  to  these  views;  and  I  need  not  assure  your  Excellency  that  I  refrained 
from  every  offensive  allusion  to  the  consequences  of  the  present  war  in  re¬ 
spect  to  the  future  position  of  France  as  a  great  power  of  the  world. 

Bismarck. 


SEPTEMBER  21,  BISMARCK—  FAVRE. 


325 


BISMARCK  NOT  OPPOSED  TO  THE  REPUBLIC. 

VERSAILLES,  October  6,  I.30  p.m. —  I  do  not  hold  the  opinion  that 
the  Republican  institutions  of  France  constitute  danger  for  Germany,  nor 
have  I,  as  asserted  in  a  letter  of  the  17th  ult.,  published  in  the  London 
Daily  Telegraph,  ever  expressed  sucju»view  to  Mr.  Malet,  or  any  other 
person.  Bismarck. 

BISMARCK  DEFINES  PRUSSIA’S  POSITION. 

The  following  memorial,  in  regard  to  the  fatal  consequences 
to  which  the  population  of  Paris  are  exposed  by  a  prolonged 
resistance,  has  been  sent  by  Count  Bismarck  to  the  Embassa¬ 
dor  of  North  Germany  : 

The  conditions  of  an  armistice  offered  to  M.  Jules  Favre,  intended  as 
the  basis  for  the  reestablishment  of  order  in  France,  have  been  rejected  by 
him  and  his  colleagues.  They  thereby  decree  the  continuance  of  a  strug¬ 
gle  which,  according  to  the  course  of  late  events,  appears  without  any  chance 
of  success  for  the  French  people.  Since  then  the  prospects  of  France  in  this 
war,  so  full  of  sacrifices,  have  still  further  declined.  Toul  and  Strasburg 
have  fallen.  Paris  is  closely  surrounded,  and  German  troops  are  advanc¬ 
ing  by  the  Loire.  The  large  forces  heretofore  engaged  near  the  above  fort¬ 
resses  are  now  at  the  free  disposal  of  the  German  commanders.  The 
country  has  to  bear  the  consequences  of  a  war  &  outrance  decreed  by  the 
French  authorities  in  Paris.  Its  sacrifices  will  be  unnecessarily  increased, 
and  its  social  condition  suffer  a  more  and  more  dangerous  decomposition. 

The  command  of  the  German  armies  does  not  find  itself  in  a  situation  to 
counteract  this  ;  but  it  perceives  clearly  the  consequences  of  the  resistance 
chosen  by  the  Powers  in  France,  and  feels  compelled  to  call  general  atten¬ 
tion  to  one  point,  namely  :  the  special  condition  of  Paris. 

The  heaviest  attacks  heretofore  made  from  this  capital  (on  the  19th  and 
30th  of  September),  in  which  the  elite  of  the  armies  collected  in  that  city 
have  not  been  able  to  throw  back  the  first  line  of  the  besieging  forces,  led 
to  the  conviction  that  the  capital  will  fall  sooner  or  later.  If  the  time  of 
surrender  is  postponed  by  “The  Provisional  Government  for  the  National 
Defence”  until  the  threatening  want  of  provisions  necessitates  a  capitula¬ 
tion,  the  most  terrible  results  must  follow. 

The  unwise  destruction  of  railways,  bridges,  and  canals  within  a  certain 
distance  around  Paris  by  the  French  has  not  been  able  to  stop  for  one  mo¬ 
ment  the  advance  of  the  German  armies.  All  communications  by  land  or 
water  needed  for  military  operations  have  been  reestablished  in  a  very  short 
time.  These  repairs  naturally  regard  military  interests  exclusively,  while 
the  other  destructions,  even  after  a  capitulation,  will  prevent  for  a  long 
time  the  communication  of  the  capital  with  the  provinces.  It  will  be  an 
absolute  impossibility  for  the  German  commanders,  when  that  case  occurs, 
to  provide  one  single  day’s  rations  for  a  population  of  nearly  2,000,000. 
The  environs  of  Baris,  to  the  distance  of  several  days’  journey,  since  all 
stores  there  are  necessarily  required  for  the  use  of  the  German  troops,  will 
then  offer  no  resources,  and  will  not  permit  the  inhabitants  of  Paris  to 
evacuate  by  the  roads  into  the  country.  The  inevitable  result  would  be  the 
starvation  of  hundreds  of  thousands. 

The  persons  in  power  in  France  cannot  fail  to  discern  these  consequences 
as  clearly  as  the  German  commanders,  and  since  to  the  latter  nothing  is 


326 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


left  but  to  carry  on  the  war  proffered,  the  rulers  of  France  are  responsible 
for  forcing  such  extremes. 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  IN  FRONT  OF  PARIS. 

The  Crown  Prince  to-day  visits  the  captured  redoubt  which 
was  carried  yesterday  while  the  Fifth  Corps  was  taking  posses¬ 
sion  of  Versailles.  The  view  of  Paris  from  this  position,  is 
charming.  In  front  is  the  Tuileries,  with  the  Louvre  behind  it ; 
yonder  is  the  dome  of  the  Invalides,  where  Napoleon  I.  lies 
buried. 

After  a  long  look  at  Paris  and  a  careful  examination  of  the 
ground  immediately  before  his  troops,  the  Crown  Prince  re¬ 
turned  to  where  the  escort  of  lancers  had  halted,  and  quitting 
the  main  chaussee,  crossed  some  fields  toward  the  edge  of  the 
woods  above  Meudon.  There  were  many  traces  of  the  battle  of 
the  previous  day,  though  it  was  evident  that  the  fighting  had  not 
been  nearly  so  severe  on  the  northern  as  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  road  to  Chatillon.  Several  dead  horses  lay  in  the  track 
of  the  French  retreat,  fearfully  mangled  by  shell  fire ;  and  a 
dead  soldier  could  be  seen  here  and  there  among  the  tops  of 
the  beet-roots,  his  scarlet  trousers  contrasting  vividly  with  the 
prevailing  color  around  him.  At  the  edge  of  the  wood  there 
had  been  a  longer  stand  made  by  the  French  before  they  aban¬ 
doned  altogether  the  high  ground  near  Le  Petit  Bicetre.  Many 
men  had  fallen  where  the  road  dipped  from  the  brow  to  the 
slope  of  the  hill,  and  many  bodies  were  being  collected  for 
burial,  both  from  the  open  fields  and  from  the  wood  itself. 

A  DUSTY  RIDE. 

Clouds  of  dust  flew  up  along  the  road  as  the  Prince  trotted 
toward  Versailles.  The  staff  became  very  dusty,  or  rather 
much  more  dusty,  for  it  had  been  in  a  similar  atmosphere  for 
hours  past.  Now  there  was  a  Prussian  battalion  halted  by  the 
wayside,  and  ringing  cheers  burst  as  His  Highness  was  recog¬ 
nized  by  the  troops. 

THE  CROWN  PRINCE  ENTERS  VERSAILLES. 

The  royal  cavalcade  came  to  the  gates  of  the  town,  and  rode 
along  a  paved  street  for  some  distance  before  reaching  the  Ave¬ 
nue  de  Paris.  Thousands  of  the  good  people  of  Versailles 
were  assembled  to  witness  the  entry  of  the  Crown  Prince  of 
Prussia  and  his  staff.  No  demonstration  of  any  kind  was 
made  ;  the  people  accepted  the  event  in  logical  silence.  Loud 
swelled  the  notes  of  the  military  band,  drawn  up  to  receive  the 
Prince.  The  Prussian  anthem  in  Versailles  !  The  needle-gun 


VERSAILLES,  SEPTEMBER  21. 


327 


in  the  Avenue  of  the  “  Grand  Monarque  !  ”  We  are  carried 
back  nearly  sixty  years,  to  the  disasters  of  another  French  em¬ 
pire.  Yes ;  there  they  are  —  the  spiked  helmets,  and  the 
strong,  sturdy  wearers  of  the  same.  There  is  King  William’s 
only  son,  the  commander  of  the  Third  German  Army,  the  vic¬ 
tor  of  Weisenburg  and  Woerth,  riding  into  the  court-yard  of  the 
Versailles  Prefecture,  to  establish  his  headquarters  at  the  Hamp¬ 
ton  Court — the  old  Philadelphia  State  House  of  the  French 
capital.  He  does  not  enter  the  stately  palace  of  the  Bourbon 
Kings,  because  that  palace  is  used  as  a  military  hospital,  and  has 
the  red  cross  flag  waving  over  it.  But  he  has  good  quarters  for 
a  fighting  prince  in  the  handsome  Prefecture  on  the  Avenue  de 
Paris,  with  his  carriages  drawn  up  in  the  court  before  the  en¬ 
trance,  ready  to  march  at  half  an  hour’s  notice. 

MORE  TROOPS. 

The  Second  and  Third  Corps  from  Prince  Charles’  Metz  army 
are  on  their  way  to  Paris.  Prince  Charles’  army  before  Metz 
comprises  the  First  army  (Steinmetz)  and  the  Second  army  con¬ 
solidated.  Steinmetz  is  relieved  from  duty  in  the  field,  and  ap¬ 
pointed  to  a  semi-military  position.  No  reasons  are  assigned 
for  the  change ;  but  it  is  well  known  in  the  Prussian  army  that 
there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  between  Prince  Charles  and 
Steinmetz,  the  last  mentioned  being  too  hard  a  fighter,  and  not 
relying  enough  on  his  artillery.  “  Signal  for  close  action,”  the 
motto  of  Farragut,  has  always  been  the  ruling  order  of  the  “  Lion 
of  Skalitz.”  Spicheren  and  Courcelles,  bloody  and  glorious  vic¬ 
tories,  are  the  only  charges  against  him.  Prince  Charles  has 
the  First,  Seventh,  Eighth,  and  Tenth  Corps  ;  the  Eighteenth 
Division  of  the  Ninth  Corps ;  the  Twenty-fifth  division  of 
Hesse- Darmstadt ;  the  division  of  Gen.  Kummer,  composed  of 
regiments  of  the  line,  formerly  the  Mayence  garrison,  and  not 
technically  connected  with  any  corps  ;  and  sundry  landwehr 
divisions  —  making  the  whole  force  180,000. 

Many  Prussian  and  Bavarian  troops  are  now  armed  with 
captured  chassepots.  The  reserve  army  forming  in  Berlin 
is  designated  as  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  with  marching  orders 
for  the  seat  of  war. 

A  large  German  force  is  already  passing  through  Alsace  to¬ 
ward  Lyons. 

SEPTEMBER  21  — PARIS  PROCLAMATIONS. 

To-day  in  Paris  is  the  anniversary  of  the  Proclamation  of 
the  Great  Republic,  and  Paris  is  in  a  very  manifesting  mood. 


328 


THE  FRAN  CO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Gambetta  issues  proclamations  every  half  hour,  calling  upon 
Parisians,  as  Minister  Washburne  says,  “  in  more  or  less  flowery 
language,  to  die  for  their  country.”  This  is  the  last  one  issued  : 

“Citizens:  This  is  the  Twenty-first  of  September!  On  this  day  seventy- 
eight  years  ago,  our  fathers  founded  the  Republic,  and  took  an  oath  to  them¬ 
selves,  in  the  teeth  of  the  foreigner,  whose  presence  polluted  the  sacred  soil  of 
their  country,  to  live  free  or  die  fighting.  They  kept  their  oath.  They 
conquered,  and  the  Republic  of  1792  has  survived,  in  the  memory  of  man¬ 
kind,  as  the  symbol  of  national  heroism  and  grandeur.  The  Government  in¬ 
stalled  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  amidst  enthusiastic  cries  of  ‘  Vive  la  Republique  !’ 
could  not  allow  this  great  anniversary  to  pass,  without  hailing  it  as  a  great 
example.  Let  the  mighty  impulse  which  animated  our  forefathers  inspire 
our  souls,  and  we,  too,  shall  conquer.  This  day  let  us  honor  our  fathers’ 
memories ;  to-morrow  let  us,  as  they  did,  secure  victory  by  facing  death. 
Vive  la  France!  Vive  la  Republique  !  ” 

M.  Arago,  the  Mayor,  followed  suit,  heading  his  manifestoes 
with  the  old  rallying  cry,  “  Liberte,  Egalite,  Frater?iit'e."  The 
French  are  so  constituted  that  they  cannot  really  exist  without 
processions,  bouquets  to  statues,  and  grand  phrases. 

The  Parisians  parade  the  streets  like  children,  sometimes 
weeping,  and  sometimes  breaking  out  in  patriotic  lunacy.  The 
statue  of  Strasburg  is  covered  with  flowers.  Among  the  patriotic 
outbursts  we  have  — 

VICTOR  HUGO’S  PRIVATE  PROCLAMATION. 

“To  the  People  : 

“The  Prussians  have  decreed  that  France  shall  be  Germany  and  Germany  Prussia.  That 
I,  as  a  Lorrainer,  am  a  German  ;  that  the  Nile,  the  Tiber,  and  the  Seine  are  affluents  of 
the  Sarre  ;  that  the  city  which  for  centuries  has  irradiated  the  globe  is  superfluous,  Berlin 
henceforth  being  capable  of  answering  every  measure  ;  that  Montaigne,  Rabelais,  Pascal, 
Moliere,  Diderot,  Rousseau,  Danton,  and  the  French  Revolution  never  existed  ;  that, 
having  Bismarck,  we  do  not  need  Voltaire,  but  the  universe  belongs  to  the  conquered  of 
Napoleon  the  Great  and  the  conquerors  of  Napoleon  the  Little  ;  that  henceforth  thought, 
conscience,  poetry,  art,  will  begin  at  Potsdam  and  finish  at  Spandau  ;  that,  moreover,  it  is 
not  established  that  our  existence  is  necessary ;  that  we  are  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and 
they,  the  Prussians,  are  the  fire  of  Heaven  ;  that  it  is  time  to  put  an  end  to  this  state  of 
things,  and  that  henceforth  the  human  race  will  be  a  power  of  the  second  order.  This, 
dearest  Parisians,  they  are  executing  upon  you.  When  they  suppress  Paris  they  mutilate 
the  world  ;  their  attack  is  aimed  urbi  et  orbi.  Is  such  a  future  possible  ?  We  answer 
only  by  a  smile.” 

M.  Victor  Hugo  proceeds  to  show  the  nature  of  this  conflict  : 

“  It  is  the  old  one  between  the  Archangel  and  another  Dragon,  and  it  will  have  the  old 
predestined  end  —  Prussia  will  be  overthrown.  The  war  has  hitherto  only  been  a  small 
war  —  it  is  about  to  become  grand.” 

M.  Victor  Hugo  calls  to  the  Prussians  to  come  forward  like 
men  : 

“No  more  forests,  no  more  thick  fogs,  no  more  tortuous  tactics,  no  more  gliding  along 
in  the  dark.  The  strategy  of  the  cat  will  not  avail  when  you  meet  the  lion.  In  vain  you 
will  step  softly.  The  very  dead  will  hear  you.  Paris  is  watching  you  — the  thunder  in 
her  hand.  Come  out  of  the  shadows  ;  advance,  show  yourselves.  Your  facile  successes 
are  over,  and  you  must  fight  foot  to  foot  and  hand  to  hand.  You  are  about  to  meet  a 
great  soldier,  whose  name  was  Gaul  when  you  were  the  Borussians,  and  who  calls  himself 
France  now  that  you  are  Vandals.  Miles  Magnus  said  curses  of  France  ;  soldier  of  God 
sa,id  Shakespeare.  We  are  going  to  put  your  General  to  the  test,  and  shall  see  whether 
your  Moltke’s  ability  is  really  better  than  the  crepitude  of  Le  Boeuf.” 


THURSDA  Y,  SEPTEMBER  22. 


329 


M.  Victor  Hugo  then  discusses  famine  and  bombardment  as 
means  of  reducing  Paris,  and  proceeds  : 

“Attack  Paris,  then;  blockade,  bombard  her.  Try  it;  but  while  you  are  about  to 
unite  will  come  snow,  sleet,  hail,  rain,  frost,  ice.  Paris  will  defend  herself.  Paris,  which 
has  been  accustomed  to  amuse  mankind,  will  now  terrify  it.  The  world  will  be  amazed 
when  it  sees  how  grandly  Paris  can  die.  The  Pantheon  is  already  asking  itself  where 
next  it  is  to  put  the  amount  of  power  who  are  about  to  acquire  a  title  to  the  shelter  of  its 
dome.  *  O  Paris  !  thou  hast  crowned  the  statue  of  Strasburg  with  flowers  ;  history  will 
crown  her  with  stains  !*  ” 

Notwithstanding  all  this  humbug,  a  large  portion  of  them 
7nean  to  fight  it  out.  They  have  taken  it  into  their  heads  that 
Paris  can  be  successfully  defended,  and  if  it  be  not,  they  are 
determined  that  it  shall  not  be  their  fault.  It  is  intended  to 
keep  well  beneath  the  cover  of  the  pits,  not  to  risk  engage¬ 
ments  more  than  is  necessary  —  gradually  to  convert  the  Garde 
Nationale  and  the  Garde  Mobile  into  good  soldiers,  by  accus¬ 
toming  them  to  be  under  fire  ;  and  then,  if  things  go  well,  to 
fall  on  one  or  other  of  the  Prussian  armies. 

Thursday,  Sept.  22.  —  Russia  moves  troops  mysteriously 
towards  Turkey.  The  Czar  moves  to  control  the  Black  Sea 
and  the  Dardanelles.  Sorties  from  Paris  and  Metz. 


SORTIE  FROM  PARIS. 

The  division  of  Gen.  Mand  Luy,  at  three  o’clock  this  morn¬ 
ing,  attached  the  heights  at  Villejuif,  on  the  south  of  Paris,  which 
were  occupied  by  the  Prussians.  The  attack  resulted  in  no  ad¬ 
vantage.  At  the  same  time  a  force  of  French  made  a  recon- 
noissance,  and  drove  the  Prussians  from  the  village  of  Drancy  ; 
and  Gen.  Bellamere,  the  commander  of  St.  Denis,  attacked  the 
Prussians  in  the  village  of  Pierrefitte,  the  small  detachment  of 
Prussians  retiring.  (See  map,  Sept.  25.) 

METZ. 

Another  balloon  from  Marshal  Bazaine’s  headquarters  at 
Metz  has  fallen  within  the  territory  controlled  by  the  French. 
The  balloon  contained  137  letters.  From  these  it  seems 
butcher’s  meat  is  very  dear  at  Metz,  and  the  army  is  conse¬ 
quently  eating  horse-flesh.  There  is  plenty  of  other  provisions. 

The  Germans  have  armed  the  captured  Lunettes,  52  and  53, 
with  mortars.  Other  batteries  have  been  erected  on  the  heights. 
The  German  suffered  a  heavy  loss  at  the  capture  of  Lunette 
No.  52.  Among  the  killed  was  Gen.  Quitzon. 


330 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


A  SORTIE. 

The  French  have  been  in  the  habit  of  coming  out  of  Metz 
and  of  digging  potatoes  in  the  fields  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
villages  which  form  the  suburbs  of  Metz  ;  to-day  was  the  first 
time  they  have  been  prevented,  for  no  sooner  did  they  make 
their  appearance  than  the  Prussian  outposts,  who  had  been 
previously  strengthened,  opened  fire.  The  French  then  with¬ 
drew,  but  only  for  a  few  moments.  In  half  an  hour’s  time  the 
French,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the  Prussians,  opened  a 
smart  fire  from  the  earthwork  of  St.  Privat.  (See  wap,  p.  154.) 
This  work  is  situated  about  3000  yards  from  the  suburb  of 
Montigny,  and  3500  yards  from  the  village  of  Augny,  occu¬ 
pied  by  the  Prussians.  Into  this  work  the  French  had  brought 
some  field  artillery,  and  they  opened  a  heavy  fire  upon  the 
village  of  Augny,  the  Prussian  foreposts  in  that  direction,  and 
also  upon  the  village  of  Marly,  to  the  left  of  Augny.  While 
this  was  going  on,  the  enemy,  evidently  determined  to  have 
potatoes,  made  an  advance,  supported  by  cavalry,  in  the  neigh¬ 
borhood  of  Mercy  le  Haut,  driving  back  the  Prussian  out¬ 
posts,  and  occupying  that  village  and  the  village  of  Peltre, 
both  under  protection  of  the  guns  of  Quelen.  They  were, 
however,  after  some  sharp  skirmishing,  driven  out,  and,  having 
no  doubt  accomplished  their  object  of  foraging,  they  retired  into 
Metz  by  way  of  Le  Sablon.  The  cordon  is  now  to  be  drawn 
tighter  than  ever  ;  the  best  shots  are  to  be  supplied  with  French 
chassepots,  and  to  do  duty  on  the  outposts  close  to  the  beleag¬ 
uered  city. 

RUSSIA  AND  TURKEY. 

The  news  of  the  fall  of  Napoleon  was  received  with  great  re¬ 
joicings  by  the  Russians,  among  whom  he  has  long  been  uni¬ 
versally  detested.  The  Government,  however,  shows  no  dis¬ 
position  to  recognize  the  Republic.  The  Prussian  party,  which 
consists  of  such  influential  men  as  Count  Stackelberg,  Baron 
Meyendorff,  and  Gen.  Milutyn,  is  led  by  no  less  a  personage 
than  the  Czarewitch. 

When  the  Czar  made  the  two  Crown  Princes  members  of  the 
Order  of  St.  George,  it  was  to  show  his  sympathy  out  and  out 
for  Prussia.  The  treaty  of  Paris  was  signed  by  Russia  after  the 
Crimean  war  on  compulsion.  France  was  up  then  ;  now  she  is 
down  ;  and  Russia  desires  to  break  it,  and  move  her  armies 
again  against  the  Sultan,  to  make  a  seaport  for  herself  on  the 
south. 

The  author  could  see  that  it  was  the  religion  of  Russia  to  go 


RUSSIA—  TURKEY,  SEPTEMBER  22. 


331 


to  the  Mediteranean,  when  in  Moscow  in  ’67.  “  We  must  have 

a  front  door.  The  back  door,  frozen  up  seven  months  in  the 
year,  left  us  by  Peter  the  Great,  is  not  enough.  It  is  the  mani¬ 
fest  destiny  of  Russia  to  go  to  the  Mediterranean,”  said  the 
Moscow  Gazette  in  1867. 

THE  TREATY  RUSSIA  WANTS  ANNULLED. 

This  treaty  was  forced  upon  Russia  by  France  and  England 
at  the  close  of  the  Crimean  war. 

All  the  Russian  newspapers  are  discussing  the  Eastern  ques¬ 
tion,  and  urging  the  abrogation  of  the  said  treaty,  which,  the 
St.  Petersburg  Diplomatist  says,  Gortschakoff  has  resolved  to 
speedily  annul.  The  contracting  Powers  of  this  treaty  were 
France,  England,  Russia,  Sardinia,  and  Turkey,  and  the  follow¬ 
ing  is  a  synopsis  of  the  points  of  most  interest  in  it  at  present : 

Art.  9.  Mentions  that  the  Sultan  grants  reforms  in  regard  to  his  Christian  subjects. 

Art.  11.  The  Black  Sea  is  neutralized.  While  open  to  the  mercantile  marines  of  all 
nations,  its  waters  and  ports  are  formally  and  in  perpetuity  interdicted  to  vessels  of  war, 
whether  belonging  to  nations  haying  territory  bordering  on  it,  or  otherwise. 

Art.  12.  This  article  prescribes  that  all  regulations  respecting  trade  in  the  Black  Sea 
shall  be  conceived  in  a  spirit  favorable  to  the  development  of  commercial  transactions. 

Art.  13.  The  Black  Sea  being  neutralized  by  aforegoing  provision,  Russia  and  Turkey 
engage  neither  to  construct  nor  maintain  any  naval  or  military  arsenal  upon  its  coast. 

Arts.  20  and  21  concede  a  portion  of  Russian  territory,  to  be  annexed  to  the  Principality 
of  Moldavia. 

Art.  22.  The  Principalities  of  Wallachia  and  Moldavia  are  to  enjoy  under  the  suzerainty 
of  the  Porte,  and  under  the  guarantee  of  the  contracting  Powers,  the  privileges  and  im¬ 
munities  of  which  they  are  in  possession.  No  exclusive  protection  shall  be  exercised  over 
them  by  any  of  the  guaranteeing  powers.  There  shall  be  no  private  right  of  interference 
in  their  affairs. 

Art.  23.  The  Sublime  Porte  guarantees  to  the  aforesaid  Principalities  an  independent 
and  national  administration,  as  well  as  full  liberty  of  worship,  legislation,  commerce,  and 
navigation. 

Art.  28.  The  Principality  of  Servia  will  continue  to  be  dependent  upon  the  Sublime 
Porte,  and  subject  to  stipulations  nearly  similar  to  those  named  for  the  other  Principalities. 

Art.  30.  Russia  and  Turkey  are  to  retain  in  their  full  integrity  their  possessions  in 
Asia  to  the  same  extent  as  before  the  war.  Commissioners  are  to  be  appointed  to  settle 
the  boundaries. 

THE  RUSSIAN  ARMY. 

The  land  forces  of  Russia  are  formed  of  two  descriptions  of  troops,  dif¬ 
ferent  from  each  other  in  many  respects  —  the  regular  troops,  properly  so 
called  ;  and  the  feudal  militia  of  the  Cossacks  and  similar  tribes. 

The  nominal  strength  of  the  Russian  army,  according  to  the  returns  of  the  Ministry  of 
War,  is  as  follows  : 


Regular  A  rmy. 

Infantry . 

Cavalry . 

Artillery . 

Engineers . 

Peace-footing. 

War-footing. 

694,511 

49.>83 

48,773 

16,203 

Total . 

. 457.875 

808,670 

A  rmy  0/  First  Reserve. 

Troops  of  the  line . 

Garrison  in  regiments . 

Garrison  in  battalions . 

74,561 

23.470 

29,862 

Total . 

127,925 

332 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR USSIAN  WAR. 


3.  A  rmy  0  f  Second  Reserve. 

Troops  of  all  arms . 254,036  199,380 

General  total . . . 812,096  1,135,975 

Among  the  irregular  troops  of  Russia,  the  most  important  are  the  Cossacks.  The 
country  of  the  Don  Cossacks  contains  from  600,000  to  700,000  inhabitants.  In  case  of  ne¬ 
cessity,  every  Cossack,  from  fifteen  to  sixty  years,  is  bound  to  render  military  service. 
The  usual  regular  military  force,  however,  consists  of  54  cavalry  regiments,  each  num¬ 
bering  1044  men,  making  a  total  of  56,376.  The  Cossacks  are  reckoned  in  round 


numbers,  as  follows  : 

In  Military 
Heads.  service. 

On  the  Black  Sea . 125,000  18,000 

Great  Russian  Cossacks  on  the  Caucasian  Line . 150,000  18,000 

Don  Cossacks . 440,000  66,000 

Ural  Cossacks .  50,000  8,000 

Orenburg  Cossacks .  60,000  10,000 

Siberian  Cossacks .  50,000  9,000 


Total . 875,000  129,000 


Russia,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  foregoing,  controls  in  time  of  war  an  army  of  more  than 
1,000,000  soldiers,  while  she  has  a  navy  capable  of  obstructing  commerce  and  inflicting 
extensive  injury  on  an  enemy.  The  annual  expenditure  for  the  army  is  §80,000,000,  and 
for  the  navy  $15,000,000. 

THE  NAVY. 

According  to  an  official  report,  the  Russian  fleet  consisted  last  year  of  290  steamers, 
having  38,000  horse-power,  with  2205  guns,  besides  29  sailing  vessels,  with  65  guns.  The 
greater  and  more  formidable  part  of  this  navy  was  stationed  in  the  Baltic.  The  Black  Sea 
fleet  numbered  43  ;  the  Caspian,  39  ;  the  Siberian  or  Pacific,  30  ;  and  the  Lake  Aral  or 
Turkestan  squadron,  n  vessels.  The  rest  of  the  ships  were  either  stationed  at  Kronstadt 
and  Sweaborg,  or  engaged  in  cruising  in  European  waters. 

Included  in  the  iron-clad  fleet  are  three  floating  batteries  of  14,  16,  27  guns  respectively, 
one  frigate  of  18  and  one  of  24  guns. 

The  largest  of  the  iron-clads  are  two  armed  frigates,  the  Sevastopol  and  Pojarski.  The 
Sevastopol  nearly  equals  the  British  iron-clads  Black  Prince  and  Warrior  in  her  dimen¬ 
sions,  and  exceeds  those  of  the  French  Gloire  and  Normandie. 

The  Imperial  navy  was  manned  at  the  beginning  of  1868  by  60,230  sailors  and  marines, 
under  the  command  of  3791  officers,  among  whom  are  119  admirals  and  generals. 

THE  TURKISH  ARMY. 

The  military  force  of  Turkey  is  divided  into —  1st,  the  regular  army, 
called  Nizam  ;  2d,  the  reserve,  or  Redif;  3d,  the  contingents  of  auxiliaries; 
and  4th,  the  irregular  troops. 

The  regular  native  army  consists  of  six  corps,  under  command  of  a  field  marshal,  with 
their  headquarters  at  Scutari,  Constantinople,  Monastir,  Karbrout,  Damascus,  and  Bag¬ 
dad.  Each  corps  consists  of  two  divisions,  commanded  by  a  General  of  division.  The 
corps  comprises  eleven  regiments,  namely  :  six  regiments  of  foot,  four  of  horse,  and  one 
regiment  of  artillery. 

In  the  last  war  with  Russia  the  number  of  auxiliaries  amounted  to  about  75,000  men, 
namely,  30,000  from  Bosnia  and  the  Herzegovina,  20,000  from  Upper  Albania,  and  25,000 
from  Egypt. 

The  total  of  the  military  forces  of  Turkey  are  officially  estimated  as  follows  : 


Regiments. 

War-footing. 

Peace-footing. 

Infantry . 

. 36 

117,360 

100,300 

Cavalry . 

.  24 

22,416 

17,280 

Field  artillery . 

.  6 

7,800 

7,800 

Artillery  in  fortresses . 

.  4 

5,200 

5,200 

Engineers . 

1,600 

1,600 

Detached  corps . 

16,000 

16,000 

Total . 

170,376 

148,680 

Reserve . 

Auxiliaries . 

Irregulars . 

Total  military  strength . 

. 459. 36° 

TOUL,  FRIDAY  SEPTEMBER  23. 


333 


The  87,000  irregular  troops  are  calculated  to  consist  of  the  following  : 


Kavas  or  gendarmes  on  foot . 30, o'*© 

Tartars . 5,000 

Hungarian  and  Polish  volunteers .  2,000 

Moslem  volunteers . 50,000 


Total  of  irregulars . . . . 87,000 


The  total  strength  of  the  Turkish  army  in  the  last  war  with  Russia  was  216,893,  of 
whom  about  half  were  of  the  reserve. 

THE  TURKISH  FLEET. 

The  fleet  of  war  of  Turkey  was  composed,  at  the  commencement  of  this  year,  of  163 
vessels,  carrying  a  total  of  2283  guns  and  manned  by  30,000  sailors  and  4000  marine 
troops.  The  largest  iron-clad  in  the  navy  is  the  Osman  Ghazy,  armed  with  24  guns. 
The  next  two  powerful  vessels  are  clad  in  heavy  armor  of  an  average  thickness  of  five  and 
a  half  inches,  and  carry  four  12-tun  rifle  Armstrong  guns  in  a  central  battery. 

THE  RUSSIAN  FLEET  NEAR  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

The  Russian  squadron,  Admiral  Boutaroff,  has  arrived  in 
Greek  waters.  The  interpretation  of  the  appearance  of  the 
fleet  is,  that  Russia  is  in  no  degree  prepared  for  the  rapid 
course  the  Franco-German  war  has  taken,  and  sees  herself 
obliged  to  do  hurriedly  now  what  she  had  hitherto  determined 
to  accomplish  at  her  own  time  and  convenience  —  viz.,  a 
strong  demonstration  of  naval  force  before  Constantinople, 
while  demanding  a  revision  of  the  treaties  of  1856,  and  a  new 
arrangement  of  the  right  of  Russian  war  vessels  to  traverse  the 
Black  Sea.  As  the  possibility  of  a  Congress  is  not  altogether 
excluded  from  men’s  minds,  this  action  on  the  part  of  Russia  is 
by  no  means  unlikely. 

Friday,  September  23. —  Surrender  of  Toul,  with  109  officers, 
2240  men,  and  197  guns.  Bloody  sortie  from  Metz.  The 
Berlin  war-office  ships  supplies  to  Paris  for  a  protracted  siege. 

CAPTURE  OF  TOUL. 

At  the  capitulation  of  Toul,  109  officers,  2240  privates,  120  horses,  r 
Garde  Mobile  (standard),  1  eagle,  197  bronze  cannon,  among  which  48  are 
rifled,  3000  muskets,  3000  sabres,  500  cuirasses,  a  very  considerable  quan¬ 
tity  of  ordnance,  quartermaster,  and  commissary  stores,  fell  into  our  hands. 

Von  Kreuski. 

THE  SIEGE. 

The  siege  commenced  on  the  14th  of  August.  On  the  r6th 
an  assault  was  repulsed.  On  the  23d  of  August  a  regular  bom¬ 
bardment  commenced,  lasting  one  month. 

The  Bavarian  railroad  directors,  who  run  the  line  from  Weis- 
enburg  through  Nancy  to  Paris,  offered  to  build  a  branch  road 
around  Toul  in  a  fortnight ;  but  Moltke  said,  “  No  ;  we  shall 
have  Toul  long  before  that  time.”  The  straggling  attack,  how¬ 
ever,  was  of  no  avail.  The  fortress  had  a  double  escarpment 


334 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


with  full  bastions,  and  was  fully  casemated.  There  was  no 
glacis,  but  a  double  moat,  each  ditch  being  thirty  feet  wide  all 
around  the  fortress.  It  was  defended  by  seventy -five  guns,  of 
which  twenty-six  were  heavy  rifled  pieces  from  Strasburg, 
brought  thence  while  yet  France  intended  an  earnest  defence 
of  Toul. 

Within  the  last  fortnight  heavy  siege  guns,  which  had  arrived 
from  Germany,  were  put  in  position  on  a  spur  of  Mount  St. 
Michael  on  the  north,  on  the  heights  opposite  the  Faubourg 
St.  Egare  on  the  southwest,  and  at  Dommartin-les-Toul  on  the 
southeast. 

THE  SURRENDER. 

Nothing  serious  was  then  attempted  until  last  Friday,  when 
at  daybreak  a  concentrated  bombardment  of  the  works  was  be¬ 
gun  by  twenty- four-pounder  batteries  of  the  Second  and  Fourth 
Artillery  regiments,  supported  by  troops  of  the  Thirty-fourth 
Infantry  brigade.  All  these  form  part  of  a  new  independent 
command,  under  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin, 
embracing  all  the  forces  lying  between  the  armies  of  Frederick 
Charles  and  the  Crown  Prince  ;  that  is,  all  the  troops  of  the 
invasion  not  engaged  in  the  sieges  of  Metz  and  Paris. 

The  firing  continued  all  Friday,  with  an  active  but  very  in¬ 
effective  reply  from  the  garrison.  In  the  evening,  the  town 
being  on  fire  in  twenty-three  places,  the  pressure  of  the  inhab¬ 
itants  upon  the  commander  induced  him  to  hoist  the  white  flag, 
and  offer  to  capitulate.  The  offer  was  immediately  accepted 
by  Colonel  Manteuffel,  commanding  the  siege  corps,  and  the 
town  was  entered  at  seven  p.m.  The  conditions  of  surrender 
were  precisely  those  of  Sedan.  A  council  of  the  Municipality, 
held  on  Friday,  decided  not  to  favor  a  surrender  ;  but  the  urgent 
representations  of  individuals  who  feared  useless  destruction 
completely  overcame  the  belligerent  determination  of  the  mili¬ 
tary  and  civil  authorities. 

HOW  TOUL  LOOKS. 

Many  houses  are  destroyed.  The  condition  of  things  is 
worse  than  at  Sedan,  but  not  so  bad  as  at  Bazeilles.  The  Gothic 
chapel  of  St.  Gengoult  is  almost  ruined,  but  the  ancient  and 
very  imposing  cathedral  has  only  a  window  arch  demolished 
and  its  outside  battered  by  a  score  of  shells.  The  town  and 
environs  have  a  picturesque  appearance,  and  are  built  very 
much  in  the  old  German  style.  There  are  but  few  wounded, 
no  sick,  and  but  little  disorder  in  Toul.  Only  two  battalions 
of  the  Nineteenth  Infantry  remain  as  garrison.  The  prisoners 


PARIS,  SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  25. 


335 


of  the  native  Garde  Mobile  were  released  under  parole  not  to 
serve  again  during  the  war.  Of  the  Garde  Mobile  500  were 
trained  during  the  siege  to  serve  the  guns ;  they  alone  performed 
the  artillery  service  ;  but  in  repulsing  the  assault  of  the  16th 
ult.,  all  the  male  inhabitants  that  could  procure  arms  par¬ 
ticipated. 

SORTIE  FROM  METZ. 

At  noon  to-day  (23d),  the  forts  surrounding  Metz  opened  a 
tremendous  cannonading,  under  cover  of  which  the  French 
forces  sallied  forth  in  considerable  strength  on  the  Prussian 
right,  and  immediately  began  a  vigorous  attack.  The  assault 
was  so  impetuous  and  well-sustained,  that  the  Prussians  were 
thrown  entirely  upon  the  defensive,  and  were,  in  fact,  compelled 
to  take  advantage  of  the  woods  to  check  the  French  advance. 

From  midday  the  battle  raged  until  nearly  seven  o’clock  in 
the  evening.  At  this  hour  the  Germans  were  heavily  rein¬ 
forced,  when  they  promptly  assumed  the  offensive,  and  ad¬ 
vanced  upon  the  French.  For  a  brief  while  the  struggle  was 
quite  fierce,  but  finally  the  forces  of  Bazaine  were  driven  back 
within  their  lines. 

Sunday,  September  25. —  King  William  announces  the  com¬ 
plete  investment  of  Paris.  The  only  communication  with  the 
French  capital  by  balloons.  Bazaine  keeps  Prince  Charles  en¬ 
gaged  at  Metz. 

THE  GERMAN  ARMY  AROUND  PARIS. 

The  royal  headquarters  of  the  combined  German  armies, 
and  the  temporary  residence  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  with 
Count  Bismarck  and  General  Moltke,  are  at  Ferrieres  (ten  miles 
east  of  Paris);  the  headquarters  of  the  Crown  Prince  at  Ver¬ 
sailles,  eight  miles  southwest  of  Paris ;  and  those  of  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Saxony  at  Grand  Tremblay,  ten  miles  northeast  of 
Paris.  The  two  armies  now  form  a  cordon  around  Paris,  the 
strongest  front  being  on  the  south  and  southeast.  The  advance 
positions  of  army  corps  are  as  follows — the  corps  themselves 
being  about  three  miles  in  the  rear  of  their  advance  positions 
given  in  the  map:  —  The  Fifth  Corps,  the  extreme  left,  ex¬ 
tends  from  Bougival,  on  the  Seine,  in  front  of  Mont  Valerien, 
to  Meudon,  in  front  of  Fort  Issy.  The  Second  Bavarian 
continues  the  line  in  front  from  Fort  Issy  to  Fort  Vanvres,  in 
front  of  Clamart.  The  Sixth  (Silesians)  from  Vanvres  past 
Chatillon,  Montrouge,  to  Bicetre,  in  front  of  Villejuif;  the 


336 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SI  AN  IVAR. 


Eleventh  (Nassauers  and  Hessians)  completing  the  line  from 
Fort  Ivry  to  the  Seine  on  the  south-east,  in  front  of  Vitry. 
The  Wiirtemberg  contingent,  consisting  of  two  divisions  of 
cavalry  and  a  division  of  infantry,  with  a  proportion  of  guns, 
is  stationed  in  the  fork  between  the  Seine  and  Marne.  The 
First  Bavarian  Corps  is  in  reserve  between  the  Second  Bavarian 


Grand  Tremblay 
Cr.  Pr.  Saxony  Headquarters 


PlERREFITTE  * 


Ch.  Pr.  Prussian  Headquarters 


Von  Falckenstein  Headq’rs 


and  Versailles.  The  army  of  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony, 
now  called  the  Army  of  the  Marne,  consists  of  the  Twelfth 
Corps,  which  joins  the  Wiirtembergers  at  Neuilly,  on  the  Marne  ; 
the  Guards  in  front  of  Rosny  and  Noisy,  and  the  Fourth 
Corps,  completing  the  chain  past  Aubervillers  beyond  St. 
Denis  on  the  north.  The  cavalry  connects  the  links  between 
the  corps,  making  a  continuous  living  wall  of  men  from  Bougi- 


PARIS,  SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  25. 


337 


val  on  the  Seine  to  the  left  front  of  Versailles,  to  St.  Denis  on 
the  north.  Gen.  Von  Falckenstein  (the  Moltke  of  the  Crown 
Prince)  is  at  Choisy-le-Roi,  superintending  the  grand  siege  of 
South  Paris.  The  Prussians  have  seized  a  small  hill  be¬ 
tween  Enghien  and  Argenteuil,  from  which  they  can  shell  the 
advanced  works  of  St.  Denis.  They  have  fortified  this  hill, 
and  will  place  about  twenty  siege  guns  in  it  as  soon  as  they 
come  up.  The  French  have  already  abandoned  many  of  their 
outworks  near  this  fort,  which  were  thrown  up  to  guard  the 
passage  of  the  Seine.  All  the  bridges  have  been  broken  up 
to  the  St.  Germain  railway  bridge,  which  is  still  passable.  The 
wooden-topped  bridge  at  St.  Germain  has  been  burned  by  the 
French,  and  the  Prussians  have  made  a  boat  bridge  near  Port 
Marly. 

STRATEGY. 

When  the  Prussian  army  of  350,000  arrived  before  Paris, 
a  division  of  counsel  arose.  Von  Moltke  was  in  favor  of 
immediate  bombardment,  while  King  William  and  the  Grown 
Prince  were  in  favor  of  the  starve-out  process.  The  King’s 
views  were  finally  accepted.  The  Prussian  army  now  sits  be¬ 
fore  Paris,  only  doing  a  moderate  amount  of  digging,  while 
large  Prussian  detachments  are  moving  through  France  towards 
Rouen,  Amiens,  Tours,  and  Lyons.  The  Duke  of  Mecklen¬ 
burg,  freed  from  Toul,  is  besieging  Soissons.  One  by  one  the 
French  provincial  towns  arc  surrendering  to  King  William. 
French  recruiting  is  stopped,  and  the  machinery  of  the  French 
Government  is  idle.  The  strategy  of  King  William  is  to  let 
time  decide  the  fate  of  Paris,  while  the  army  in  detachments 
demoralizes  France  as  Sherman  demoralized  the  South  in  his 
“march  to  the  sea.” 

THE  DAILY  SKIRMISHING. 

All  along  the  chain  is  heard  the  rattling  fire  of  the  skirmish¬ 
ers,  or  the  bursting  shells  as  they  hiss  and  explode  in  mid 
air.  Destroying  war  is  everywhere.  Follow  a  by-road  and  it 
leads  plump  into  a  field  where  a  battery  is  to  be  seen  with  its 
guns  unlimbered  and  pointed  enemy-wards  —  precautions  at 
given  points  against  sudden  surprises  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 
Sentinels  stand  at  all  the  cross-roads  and  at  close  intervals 
along  the  routes  converging  on  Paris,  and  they  stand  surveying 
certain  directions  with  fixed  gaze.  Those  great  routes  are  all 
strongly  barricaded  with  huge  trees  cut  down  from  the  way- 
side,  where  they  have  towered  aloft  for  many  years  ;  and  such 
15 


338 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


barricades  have  been  prolonged  and  assisted  on  the  flanks  by 
hastily  built  earthworks.  The  air  is  one  of  readiness. 

THE  GARDEN - A  DESERT. 

Did  the  reader  ever  pass  over  the  aqueduct  bridge  from 
Georgetown  in  war  time?  Go  back  to  1862,  and  see  that 
desolate  country  from  Fort  Corcoran,  Fort  Runyon,  and  the 
old  headquarters  of  Blenker,  and  around  Fairfax  Seminary,  to 
Alexandria.  History  repeats  itself  to-day  in  front  of  Paris. 
Oh  the  scourge  of  an  army  of  occupation  !  Around  beautiful 
Versailles  the  fairy  gardens  are  macadamized  by  the  dress 
parade,  and  sweeping  lawns  are  cut  by  the  zigzag  paths  of  the 
Prussian  scouts.  Begrimed  walls  of  once  beautiful  chateaux 
stand  silent  sentinels  to  the  devastations  of  war.  Houses 
become  suggestions  of  houses,  windowless,  doorless,  deserted. 
Hedges  are  browsed  away,  and  become  leafless  and  gray. 
Soldiers  who  have  followed  our  armies  in  Virginia  can  see  this 
zone  deserted  in  front  of  Paris,  and  still  alive  with  a  strange, 
moving  mass  of  armed  humanity.  Luxuries  have  ceased.  The 
poultry  have  been  massacred,  and  the  cows  have  been  butch¬ 
ered  for  beef.  Within  sight  of  the  beautiful  Louvre,  with  its 
miles  of  marbles,  and  gems  of  art,  not  so  much  as  a  pin  can  be 
bought.  These  are  the  facts  which  look  down  upon  the  once 
lovely  capitol  of  France  —  look  down  upon  the  column  of  July, 
the  tomb  of  the  first  Napoleon  and  his  sublime  '•'•arch  of 
triumph  to  the  stars  !  ” 

VIEW  FROM  MEUDON. 

How  beautiful  in  all  this  desolation  is  the  night  view  in  front 
of  Paris.  A  thousand  encampments  with  their  illuminated 
tents  spread  out  to  the  right  and  the  left,  and  a  flood  of  light 
radiates  against  the  clouds  till  the  sky  is  all  aglow  with  mellow 
light.  At  nine  the  lights  of  the  soldiers  go  out,  and  at  eleven 
darkness  draws  a  veil  over  the  scene.  Not  yet.  Away  over 
a  zone  of  darkness  Paris  throws  skyward  a  halo  of  light  like 
the  milky  way.  Standing  against  the  sky  is  the  grand  arch  of 
Napoleon,  the  Madaleine  with  its  Greek  inspiration,  and  the 
dome  of  the  Paris  Pantheon,  after  which  our  capitol  was  de¬ 
signed.  I  pray  God  that  an  enemy  may  never  look  down  upon 
that  capitol  as  350,000  Prussians  look  down  on  Paris  to-night. 

SORTIE  FROM  METZ. 

Bazaine  shows  great  activity  at  Metz,  and  by  his  energetic 
movements  holds  in  front  of  him  an  army  twice  the  size  of  his 
own.  Not  knowing  on  what  radius  Bazaine  may  advance, 


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STRASBURG,  SEPTEMBER  27.’ 


389 


Prince  Charles  is  compelled  to  close  a  line  around  Metz  at 
least  twenty-five  miles  long.  To-day  Bazaine  made  another 
sortie  on  the  Thionville  radius,  north  of  Fort  St.  Eloy.  Covered 
by  the  cannon  of  the  fort,  which  opened  a  severe  fire,  the  French 
attacked  vigorously  the  left  of  the  Prussian  line,  a  little  east 
of  the  Thionville  road.  Regiment  after  regiment  rushed  upon 
I  the  solid  line  of  defences  formed  by  the  Prussians,  who  held 
’  their  ground  with  an  iron-like  tenacity. 

Once  the  French  gained  an  advantage,  which,  though  it 
proved  but  temporary,  made  the  situation  grave  while  it  was 
held.  They  succeeded  in  carrying  an  outwork  of  the  Prussian 
lines  and  in  turning  the  flank  of  another  position.  They  were, 

;  however,  promptly  met  as  they  pushed  on  by  heavy  masses  of 
Prussian  reinforcements,  and  driven  back,  though  slowly,  as 
they  gallantly  contested  every  inch  of  ground  they  were  forced 
to  yield. 

At  length,  after  a  bloody  and  protracted  struggle,  they  were 
I  forced  to  retire  to  the  protection  of  the  forts.  The  display  of 
heroism  and  stubborn  determination  on  both  sides  was  great 
\  and  often  thrilling,  and  has  never  been  excelled  in  modern 
warfare. 

Tuesday,  September  27.  —  Strasburg  surrenders  with  10,000 
men  to  General  Werder  (Thirteenth  Corps).  General  Uhrich 
paroled,  and  goes  to  Tours.  General  Von  Terten  appointed 
Governor.  The  Prussian  besieging  garrison  ( 1 7,000  men)  forms 
a  new  army  operating  along  the  Vosges  and  against  Lyons. 

THE  FALL  OF  STRASBURG 
To  the  Queen: 

Ferrieres,  September  27,  n  p.m.  —  Strasburg  capitulated  at 
five  this  afternoon.  Wilhelm. 

THE  BOMBARDMENT. 

Since  the  24th  the  bombardment  has  been  terrific  and  almost 
incessant,  and  the  breach  in  the  walls  became  large  enough  to 
warrant  an  assault.  It  became  evident  that  storming  was  in¬ 
evitable  in  a  few  hours,  unless  stayed  by  a  capitulation. 

THE  WHITE  FLAG  ! 

On  Tuesday,  the  27th,  near  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  the 
joyful  sight  of  a  white  flag  was  beheld  flying  from  die  CathedraL 


340 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


This  was  speedily  followed  by  the  same  welcome  token  of  sur¬ 
render  from  the  citadel.  A  young  lieutenant  of  the  Thirty- 
fourth  Regiment  was  the  first  to  discover  the  flag,  and  the  firing 
instantly  ceased.  Then  general  attention  was  called  to  the  flags 
by  an  universal  cheer  which  rose  from  one  portion  of  the  be¬ 
sieging  lines,  and  was  soon  caught  up  and  echoed  throughout 
the  entire  army. 

JOY. 

The  scene  which  followed  was  indescribably  exciting.  Offi¬ 
cers  sprang  to  their  feet  and  embraced  each  other,  clasping 
hands.  The  men  followed  the  example,  and  some  actually 
cried  with  joy.  This  joy  is  a  relief  to  the  impressive  sadness  in 
the  city. 

TERMS  OF  CAPITULATION. 

Colonel  Von  Leczynski,  General  Werder’s  chief  of  staff,  en¬ 
tered  the  town  and  arranged  the  following  terms  of  capitulation. 
The  mildness  of  the  terms  of  surrender  is  only  accounted  for  by 
the  fact  that  the  Prussian  authorities  have  been  instructed,  in 
the  Departments  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  to  win  over  the  inhab¬ 
itants  by  kindness,  and  prepare  them  for  becoming  a  part  of 
Prussia. 

The  Royal  Prussian  Lieut. -Gen.  Von  Werder,  commander  of  the  corps  besieging  Stras- 
burg,  solicited  by  the  French  Lieut. -Gen.  Uhrich,  commander  of  Strasburg,  to  put  an  end 
to  the  hostilities  against  the  fortress  in  consideration  of  the  honorable  and  brave  defence  of 
the  place,  agrees  to  conclude  the  following  capitulation  : 

Article  I.  —  At  8  o’clock  in  the  morning  on  September  28,  1870,  Lieut. -Gen.  Uhrich 
evacuates  the  citadel,  the  Austerlitz  gate,  the  Fisher  gate,  and  the  National  gate.  At  the 
same  time  the  German  troops  will  occupy  these  positions. 

Art.  II.  — At  n  o’clock  on  the  same  day  the  French  garrison,  including  Gardes  Mobiles 
and  National  Guards,  leave  the  fortress  through  the  National  gate,  take  up  position  be¬ 
tween  lunette  No.  44  and  redoubt  No.  37,  and  there  lay  down  their  arms. 

Art.  III.  — The  troops  of  the  line  and  the  Gardes  Mobiles  become  prisoners  of  war,  and 
march  out  with  their  luggage.  The  National  Guards  and  Francs-tireurs  are  released  on 
parole,  and  by  11  o’clock  a.m.  surrender  their  arms  at  the  Mayor’s  office.  The  list  of  the 
officers  of  these  troops  at  the  same  hour  to  be  furnished  to  Gen.  Von  Werder. 

Art.  IV.  — The  officers  of  the  French  garrison  of  Strasburg  are  at  liberty  to  depart  and 
chose  their  own  place  of  residence  on  parole  ;  the  form  of  the  parole  is  attached  to  these 
articles  of  capitulation.  Those  officers  who  do  not  sign  the  parole  proceed  with  the  gar¬ 
rison  as  prisoners  of  war  to  Germany.  All  the  French  military  surgeons  remain  until 
further  notice  in  their  functions. 

Art.  V.  — Lieut. -Gen.  Uhrich,  immediately  upon  the  surrender  of  arms,  agrees  to  deliver 
over,  through  the  proper  officers,  all  the  military  material  on  hand.  Officers  and  officials 
charged  with  this  duty  assemble  on  the  28th,  at  12  o’clock,  upon  the  Place  de  Broglie. 

This  capitulation  is  executed  and  signed  by  the  following  plenipotentaries  :  On  the  Ger¬ 
man  side,  by  Lieut. -Col.  Von  Leczynski,  chief  of  staff  of  the  Corps  besieging  Strasburg, 
and  Count  Henckel  Von  Donnersmark,  Captain  of  Cavalry  and  Adjutant.  On  the  French 
side,  by  Col.  Ducasse,  Commander  of  Strasburg,  and  Lieut. -Col.  Mangin,  Sub-Director 
of  Artillery. 

Read,  accepted,  and  signed, 

Von  Leczynski, 

Count  Henckel  Von  Donnersmark, 
Ducasse, 

Mangin. 

Affirmed,  Mundolsheim,  September  28,  1870. 

Von  Werder,  Lieutenant-General. 


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STRASBURG,  SEPTEMBER  27. 


341 


UHRICH  AND  WERDER  MEET. 

The  commanders  of  the  two  forces,  Gens.  Werder  and  Uhrich, 
met  for  the  first  time  after  the  terms  of  capitulation  had  been 
arranged.  The  meeting  took  place  just  inside  the  gate,  on  the 
east  side.  Gen.  Uhrich  advanced  to  Gen.  Werder,  and,  with 
a  voice  much  agitated,  said : 

“  I  have  yielded  to  an  irresistible  force,  when  further  resist¬ 
ance  was  only  a  needless  sacrifice  of  lives  of  brave  men.  I 
have  the  consolation  of  knowing  I  have  yielded  to  an  honorable 
enemy.” 

Gen.  Werder,  much  affected,  placed  both  hands  on  Gen. 
Uhrich’s  shoulders,  and  said : 

“  You  fought  bravely.  You  will  have  as  much  honor  from 
the  enemy  as  you  can  have  from  your  own  countrymen.” 

LOSSES. 

Gen.  Von  Werder,  the  Prussian  commander,  reports  that  the 
besiegers  lost  from  the  21st  of  September  to  the  capitulation  of 
the  place,  30  killed  and  195  wounded.  During  the  entire  siege 
the  Germans  lost  906  killed  and  wounded,  including  113  of¬ 
ficers. 

CAPTURES. 

By  the  capitulation  10,000  men,  eleven  hundred  guns  of  all 
sorts,  twelve  thousand  chassepots,  three  tons  of  ammunition, 
and  fifty  locomotives  of  the  Paris  and  Strasburg  Railroad,  which 
had  been  collected  there,  fall  into  Prussian  hands. 

THE  DAMAGE. 

One  house  standing  at  a  corner  was  propped  up  lest  it  should 
topple  over.  A  cannon  ball  had  swept  a  large  piece  out  of 
the  corner,  and  had  cut  through  one  of  the  beams  which  sup¬ 
ported  the  two  upper  floors.  In  the  Place  Kleber,  one  of  the 
largest  and  finest  open  spaces  in  Strasburg,  the  signs  of  destruc¬ 
tion  were  most  striking.  The  handsome  building  which  filled 
the  north-eastern  side  of  the  square,  and  in  which  was  a  valua¬ 
ble  museum  of  ancient  and  modern  works  of  art,  is  now  repre¬ 
sented  by  empty  walls.  Nearly  every  house  has  been  pierced 
Avith  shot  or  shell. 

THE  CATHEDRAL 

is  uninjured.  The  spire  is  as  attractive  a  spectacle  as  ever,  but 
it  has  been  struck  in  more  places  than  one.  The  cross  on  its 
summit  appears  to  have  been  touched  by  a  projectile.  It  leans 
to  one  side.  Some  of  the  ornamental  Avork  has  been  carried 
aAvay,  and  in  one  of  the  side  towers  a  portion  of  the  stone  stair¬ 
way  has  been  destroyed.  The  outer  roof  of  the  nave  has  been 


342 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


burned ;  tire  windows  have  here  and  there  been  pierced  with 
balls,  but  the  famous  clock  has  escaped  destruction,  and  the 
Cathedral  is  on  the  whole  in  excellent  condition.  To  this  place 
the  German  soldiers  hastened  as  soon  as  they  arrived.  They 
ascended  the  tower ;  they  explored  the  interior.  The  officers 
were  as  eager  as  the  men  not  only  to  see  the  renowned  Cathe¬ 
dral,  but  also  to  learn  the  truth  as  to  the  damage  done  it.  All 
expressed  their  satisfaction  at  the  comparative  unimportance  of 
the  injury  inflicted.  They  would  have  lamented  the  destruction 
of  the  Cathedral  quite  as  sincerely  as  the  Strasburgers  them¬ 
selves.  More  than  one  German  artillery  officer  says  that 
orders  were  daily  given  to  carefully  avoid  firing  in  such  a  way 
as  would  either  damage  or  endanger  the  Cathedral.  Other 
public  buildings,  however,  have  not  escaped.  The  Prefecture, 
the  theatre,  and  the  church  library,  the  latter  of  which  is 
world  renowned,  are  now  represented  by  bare  walls. 

THE  CITY  OF  STRASBURG. 

The  venerable  city  of  Strasburg  was  founded  in  the  time  of 
Augustus.  It  has  indeed  had  a  checkered  existence.  It  has 
been  sacked  by  the  Romans,  pillaged  by  the  Huns,  seized  by 
the  Germans,  captured  by  the  French,  and  it  now  falls  back 
to  Germany,  its  natural  ally.  In  turn  it  has  been  made  Catholic 
and  Protestant.  Its  fortifications  were  completed  by  Vauban 
in  1684.  They  consist  of  five  massive  bastions  and  five  demi¬ 
lunes,  and  were  considered  impregnable  until  the  invention  of 
the  latest  rifled  artillery  of  heavy  calibre,  such  as  the  foundries 
of  America,  and  the  workshops  of  Krupp,  at  Berlin,  can  furnish. 

MONUMENTS  AND  BUILDINGS. 

Strasburg  is  full  of  monuments  and  objects  of  interest, 
among  which  is  the  bronze  statue  of  John  Guttenberg,  the 
modern  inventor  of  printing. 

The  Public  Library,  near  the  Temple  Neuf,  or  New  House 
of  Worship,  has  1 10,000  volumes,  and  among  them  some  of  the 
rarest  works  and  missals  of  the  middle  ages,  with  Gothic  and 
Byzantine  illuminations ;  and  some  rare  imprints  of  Bibles  and 
classic  authors  by  Faust  and  by  Egglestein,  of  400  years  back 
date.  Along  with  these  is  a  collection  of  Roman  antiquities 
found  in  Alsatia,  and  precious  specimens  of  curious  stained  glass. 
The  Acadeinie,  founded  in  1538  and  made  a  University  in  1621, 
was  the  scene  of  Goethe’s  completion  of  his  collegiate  course, 
and  his  graduation  as  a  doctor  of  laws  in  1772;  while  such  illus¬ 
trious  names  as  Oberlin,  Schoepflin,  and  many  of  scarcely  less 


WEDNESDA  Y,  SEPTEMBER  28. 


343 


note,  are  on  its  records.  The  great  German  poet  eloquently 
refers  to  his  student  days  there  in  his  autobiography. 

THE  GREAT  CATHEDRAL 

was  founded  by  Clovis  in  a.d.  504;  reconstructed  by  Charle¬ 
magne,  who  built  the  grand  choir ;  nearly  ruined  by  lighting  in 
a.d.  1007;  and  again  remodelled,  as  it  now  stands,  in  1015. 
The  body  of  the  edifice  was  finished  in  1439. 

It  stands  there,  the  embodied  thought  of  pious  generations, 
struggling  upward  toward  heaven,  and  crystallized  beneath  the 
sun  into  a  perpetual  memento  —  a  never-ending  prayer.  How 
grand  and  touching  a  growth  to  spring  from  the  graves  that  en¬ 
rich  the  soil  below  —  a  passion  flower,  blooming  forever  in  col¬ 
ored  glass,  in  glittering  metal,  and  in  granite  etchings  ! 

THE  ASTRONOMICAL  CLOCK 

is  the  mechanic  miracle  of  this  unrivalled  Gothic  fane.  At 
noonday,  with  clang  of  bells  and  organ  music,  the  mechanism 
of  the  dial  moves,  and  the  busy  throngs  in  the  streets  below 
look  up  with  awe  at  the  personified  legends  of  the  faith  that 
governs  life  and  death. 

Wednesday,  September  28.  —  General  Bourbaki  leaves 
Metz  for  England,  with  a  message  for  the  Empress.  Grand 
parade  of  Prussian  troops  at  Versailles. 

PARIS.  — COMIC  RADICALISM. 

The  news  of  the  fall  of  Strasburg  becomes  known  in  Paris. 
A  proclamation,  dated  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  signed  by  all  the 
Ministers,  is  issued,  acknowledging  the  noble  resistance  of  the 
city,  and  declaring  that  the  siege  had  only  drawn  closer  the 
bonds  which  attach  Alsace  to  France.  Then  follows  an  enact¬ 
ment  : 

“  That  since  the  siege  of  Strasburg  the  national  feeling  of  the  people  of 
Paris  had  not  ceased  to  lavish  testimonies  of  patriotism  upon  the  statue  of 
Strasburg,  and,  in  order  to  perpetuate  the  sentiment,  the  statue  now 
standing  in  the  Place  de  la  Concorde  should  be  cast  in  bronze,  and  have  an 
inscription  added  to  it  commemorating  the  occasion.” 

VOICE  OF  A  RADICAL  (“RED”). 

M.  Felix  Pyat  and  his  friends  take  the  matter  very  differ¬ 
ently,  and  his  paper,  the  Combat ,  which  appears  with  a  heavy 
black  mourning  border,  contains  an  article  signed  by  him,  apos¬ 
trophizing  the  Government  in  this  style  : 

“  What  a  confession  !  But  we  expect  such  failures  from  your  imbecility. 
Yes,  these  heroic  cities  (Toul  and  Strasburg)  have  held  out,  as  you  say: 


344 


*THE  FRANC O-PR  USS/AJV  WAR. 


glory  to  them,  but  for  you  they  have  only  a  cry  of  malediction.  No  more 
phrases,  discourses,  and  placards.  Since  September  4,  you  have  had  the 
fate  of  France  in  your  own  hands — what  have  you  done?  Nothing.  You  go 
on  your  knees  to  Bismarck,  and  immediately  after  Toul  and  Strasburg  sur¬ 
render.  If  only  half  of  those  who  carried  flowers  to  the  statue  had  carried 
arms  and  provisions  to  the  town,  they  would  have  held  out  until  to¬ 
day.  And  so  you  are  going  to  recast  the  statue.  You  will  have  the 
bronze,  and  Prussia  the  town.  It  is  in  this  way  that  you  reinforce  the 
Prussians.  Toul  is  a  frontier  lost;  Strasburg  is  a  gate  of  Paris.  And 
you  find  time  to  scatter  the  flowers  of  rhetoric  and  to  stick  up  placards, 
and  no  time  to  make  the  commune,  the  Revolution,  and  the  arming  of  the 
people.  Take  care;  you  are  for  the  Empire  under  the  disguise  of  the 
Republic  [V Empire  Repub licaine).  Sedan  killed  your  predecessors;  Stras¬ 
burg  will  kill  you.  Begone  !  your  deposition  is  pronounced.” 

RADICAL  TWADDLE. 

The  Red  Republicans  in  Paris  are  doing  great  mischief. 
They  mean  well  enough,  but  they  seem  to  have  no  sagacity. 
They  are  Jacobin  agitators.  Trochu  has  controlled  them  by 
setting  them  at  useless  work  —  as  in  the  navy,  the  marines,  to 
keep  them  out  of  mischief,  are  kept  holystoning  the  deck. 
Thus  M.  Blanc  and  M.  de  Jonvielle,  and  a  host  of  Jacobin  fel¬ 
lows,  have  been  made  officers  of  barricades.  Such  complete 
twaddle  is  all  this  barricade  business !  How  wise  M.  Blanc 
looks  at  every  street  parted  with  cobble-stones  !  They  have  just 
torn  up  the  street  in  front  of  the  Pantheon ;  and  now  these 
foolish  fellows  are  wisely  discussing  how  to  build  the  barri¬ 
cade.  Why,  one  of  Krupp’s  guns  would  send  a  whole  barri¬ 
cade  flying  like  grape-shot  amongst  the  citizens.  They  are 
positively  a  good  thing  for  the  Prussians.  They  are  good  to 
kill  women  and  children  with  —  splendid  for  the  destruction  of 
innocent  dogs  and  unsuspecting  dray  horses.  Well,  they 
amuse  the  “ Reds” !  At  night,  when  the  “  Reds”  are  unable  to 
work  at  their  barricade  nonsense,  they  meet  in  clubs  and  pass 
startling  resolutions.  In  the  morning  these  “  Wendellphillips 
fellows  ”  (as  Minister  Washburne  calls  them)  display  their  reso¬ 
lutions  as  if  they  proceeded  from  a  constituted  authority.  Last 
evening  the  following  atrocious  resolutions,  radical  enough  to 
startle  the  bones  of  the  agrarian  Grachii,  were  passed : 

Resolved ,  That  the  demolition  of  the  column  Vendome,  this  useless  mon¬ 
ument  of  despotism,  of  which  the  material  could  be  converted  into  money, 
would  be  a  public  good. 

(Little  did  the  first  Napoleon  think  his  shocking  idea  of 
melting  the  silver  disciples  into  money,  “  that  they  might  go 
about  doing  good,”  would  one  day  come  back  with  such  dread¬ 
ful  irony  against  his  own  statue.) 


WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  28. 


345 


Resolved,  That  the  people  demand  that  all  of  the  population  of  Paris 
shall  henceforth  be  rationed  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life. 

Resolved,  That  the  property  of  those  who  have  cowardly  ( lachement )  fled 
from  Paris  shall  be  confiscated  for  the  benefit  of  the  defenders  of  the  Re¬ 
public. 

Resolved,  That  from  this  time  every  person  shall  be  provided  with  a 
card  civique,  indicating  his  name  and  surnames,  his  age,  his  address,  his 
signature,  and  the  kind  of  service  which  he  performs  in  the  national  de¬ 
fence.  This  card  to  be  shown  at  the  demand  of  any  citizen. 

Resolved,  That  all  the  property,  real  estate  or  personal,  furniture  and 
houses  of  those  who  have  been  accomplices  in  the  depredations  of  the  Bona- 
partes,  be  sequestered. 

Hugo  and  Louis  Blanc  have  written  letters  against  the  “  Reds.” 

M.  Rochefort  has  become  exceedingly  conservative  in  his 
expression.  He  advises  his  friends  the  “Reds”  to  behave 
themselves,  to  be  patriotic,  and  above  all  things  not  to  make 
Prussians  of  themselves.  The  more  violent  of  the  “  Reds  ” 
whisper  to  themselves  that  Rochefort  has  turned  traitor  to  the 
cause,  and  they  threaten  even  to  “  whip  off  his  head  ”  the  very 
first  chance  which  they  can  obtain ;  they  do  not  say  whether 
they  mean  his  head  corporeal  or  his  head  political. 

IMPERIAL  SECRETS. 

The  story  and  correspondence  of  the  Marguerite  Bellanger 
scandal  is  published.  The  paternity  of  Mile.  Bellanger’s  little 
boy  is  attributed  to  the  Emperor,  and  the  secret  comes  out  that 
the  lady  (?)  was  caused  to  disavow  the  Imperial  paternity 
through  the  intriguing  of  President  Devienne  (First  Judge 
of  the  Empire).  The  Emperor  kept  Marguerite  in  the  style 
of  a  princess.  Dogs,  carriages,  jewellery,  and  a  magnificent  pal¬ 
ace  on  the  Avenue  de  la  Reine  Hortense,  were  her  portion 
given  by  the  Emperor. 

THE  STORY  OF  MARGUERITE. 

At  a  time  when  the  Prince  Imperial  was  in  very  bad  health 
he  was  under  the  impression  that  he  was  the  father  of  Mar¬ 
guerite  Bellanger’s  boy.  Imparting  his  grief  to  her  at  the  pros¬ 
pect  of  being  deprived  of  posterity,  she,  in  melting  moments, 
got  him  to  listen  to  her  complacently,  when  she  said  that  her 
son  was  his,  and  that,  apart  from  social  conventions  which  he 
might  overrule,  the  direct  line  of  the  Napoleons  was  in  any 
event  assured.  The  Emperor  might  very  well  have  caressed 
the  idea  over  a  cigarette,  that,  if  he  lost  his  legitimate  son,  his 
power  and  might  would  be  equal  to  the  achievement  of  a  ple¬ 
biscite  conferring  his  adoption  on  an  illegitimate  one.  This  is 
the  man  who  was  the  hero  of  Strasburg  and  Boulogne  (see  bio- 
15* 


34:6 


THE  FRANCO- PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


graphy),  and  who  was  once  received  in  the  best  society  of  Bowl¬ 
ing  Green  and  Bleecker  Street.  Later,  the  Prince  Imperial  got 
better ;  the  Empress  rebelled  against  the  Marguerite  Bellanger 
scandal ;  and  a  moment  came  when  the  Emperor  thought  it 
expedient  to  obtain  a  disavowal  from  Miss  Marguerite  of  his 
paternity  of  her  child  at  any  price.  M.  Devienne,  at  the  time 
when  he  soiled  his  ermine  with  this  dirty  business,  was  First 
President  of  the  Imperial  Court,  i.e.,  the  Second  Judge  of  the 
Empire.  As  a  reward  for  service  which  the  lowest  pettifogging 
attorney  would  have  been  ashamed  to  own,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  highest  judicial  office  in  the  gift  of  the  Crown,  namely, 
the  Presidency  of  the  Court  of  Cassation.  He  is  now  im¬ 
peached  for  disgracing  the  bench. 

HOW  NAPOLEON  MADE  FRIENDS. 

The  Tuileries  correspondence  reveals  the  fact  that  both  Cas- 
sagnac  and  Jerome  David  were  regular  pensioners  on  the  civil 
list.  The  cost  of  the  Prince  Imperial’s  baptism  amounted  to 
$180,000.  The  cousins,  male  and  female,  of  the  Emperor,  re¬ 
ceived  $250,000  per  annum.  The  Due  de  Persigny  received 
in  two  months  $12,000;  Prince  Sablonowiski,  the  Countess 
Gajan,  Madame  Claude  Vignon,  Gen.  Morris,  and  many 
others,  are  down  for  various  sums. 

PRUSSIAN  LOSSES  AND  CAPTURES. 

The  Prussians  have  captured  up  to  to-day,  one  marshal,  39 
generals,  3577  officers,  123,700  privates,  10,280  horses,  at  least 
56  eagles,  102  mitrailleuses,  887  field  and  fortress  guns,  more 
than  400  wagons,  several  pontoon  trains,  magazines,  railway 
train,  and  almost  incalculable  quantities  of  supplies  of  arms, 
ammunition,  clothing,  equipments,  forage,  and  provisions. 

The  number  of  French  prisoners  in  Germany  does  not  fall 
short  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  men.  One  hun¬ 
dred  and  ten  thousand  and  twenty  are  within  the  territory  of 
Prussia,  sixty  thousand  and  sixty  of  whom  are  in  the  several 
fortresses,  and  the  others  are  in  open  camps,  which  are  well 
guarded  by  the  landwehr.  At  a  council  of  the  Prussian  Cab¬ 
inet,  it  was  decided  that  the  prisoners  may  be  employed  by  per¬ 
sons  not  connected  with  the  military  departments. 

The  official  tables  of  the  Prussian  losses  since  the  war  began 
place  the  casualties  at  1690  officers  killed  and  wounded,  and 
38,151  men. 

Friday,  September  30.  —  Sortie  from  Paris.  French  de- 


FRIDAY  SEPTEMBER,  30. 


347 


feated  and  driven  back  by  the  Fifth  and  Eleventh  Prussian 
Corps. 

THE  PARIS  SORTIE. 


KING  WILLIAM’S  DESPATCH. 

To  the  Queen  :  Ferrieres,  September  30. 

Early  this  morning,  the  French  troops  of  the  line  made  a  sortie  against 
the  troops  of  the  Sixth  Prussian  Corps,  while  the  Prussian  Fifth  Corps 
was  attacked  by  three  battalions.  At  the  same  time  a  brigade  made 
a  demonstration  against  the  Eleventh  Corps.  At  the  end  of  two  hours  the 
French  took  shelter  under  the  guns  of  the  forts.  The  Crown  Prince  com¬ 
manded  the  Prussians.  William. 

TROCHU’S  report.  (See  Map,  p.  340.) 

To  The  People:  Vitry,  September  30. 

Our  troops,  in  a  vigorous  sortie,  successively  occupied  Chevilly  and 
L’Hay,  and  advanced  as  far  as  Thiais  and  Choisy-le-Roi.  All  these  posi¬ 
tions  (on  the  south  of  Paris)  were  wholly  occupied.  After  a  sharp  artil¬ 
lery  and  musketry  engagement  our  troops  fell  back  on  their  positions  with 
remarkable  order  and  coolness.  The  Garde  Mobile  was  very  firm.  Our 
losses  were  considerable  ;  those  of  the  enemy  probably  as  large.  As  a 
whole,  the  day  was  very  honorable.  Trochu. 

The  following  is  the  longer  report  of  the  battle  of  Villejuif, 
issued  by  General  Trochu  : 

“After  the  concentration  of  the  positions  adjacent  to  Villejuif  by  the 
division  of  Gen.  Mand  Luy,  the  enemy  remained  master  of  the  villages  of 
I.’Hay,  Chevilly,  Thiais,  and  Choisy-le-Roi,  thus  protecting  his  line  of 
communications  with  Versailles.  For  several  days  past  he  has  been  con¬ 
structing  works  on  this  line,  throwing  up  earthen  mounds,  completing  its 
bounds,  and  walls  of  the  villages,  etc.  The  Germans  thought,  indeed, 
that  a  combined  action  on  the  two  banks  of  the  Seine  should  be  contem  ¬ 
plated  in  order  to  reconnoitre  exactly  the  forces  of  the  enemy  on  these 
positions.  With  this  object  the  troops  under  General  Vinoy  were  last 
night  massed  toward  the  forts  of  Ivry,  Bicetre,  and  Montrouge  (these  forts 
forming  a  chain  on  the  south  of  Paris).  At  daybreak  they  quitted  their 
lines,  and  were  at  once  received  with  a  brisk  fire  of  musketry  and  cannon, 
to  which  they  replied  with  energy.  The  engagement  soon  became  general 
upon  the  entire  plateau  of  Villejuif,  and  lasted  not  less  than  three  hours. 
While  the  troops  under  General  of  Brigade  Guilbein  (Thirty-fifth  and 
Forty-second)  pushed  the  enemy  back  with  vigor  out  of  Chevilly,  the  bulk 
of  General  Blaine’s  column  (divisions  Mand  Luy)  penetrated  as  far  as  the 
village  of  Thiais  and  took  a  battery  in  position,  the  guns  of  which  batteries 
it  could  not  carry  off,  having  no  horses.  At  this  juncture  the  enemy  brought 
up  heavy  reinforcements  concentrated  within  call,  and  could  not  have 
numbered  fewer  than  30,00x3  men.  General  Vinoy,  judging  that  the 
enterprise  had  been  pushed  far  enough,  ordered  the  retreat.  It  was 
effected  under  fire,  with  a  calmness  most  remarkable,  and  which  does  the 
troops  infinite  credit.  The  artillery  throughout  steadily  and  effectively 
supported  the  movements  by  the  accuracy  of  its  fire,  and  the  battalions  of 
the  young  Mobiles,  following  the  example  of  the  infantry  of  the  line,  on 


34S 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSI AN  IVAR. 


their  side,  showed  an  admirably  firm  bearing.  In  the  engineers,  who 
attacked  the  enemy  directly  in  front,  in  their  fortified  positions,  our  losses, 
not  yet  estimated,  were  heavy.  We  have  to  regret  the  loss  of  General 
Guilbein,  a  valiant  officer,  who  has  deserved  well  of  his  country.  General 
Exea,  who  with  a  single  brigade  marched  upon  Creteil,  on  the  adverse 
right,  although  strongly  entiled,  appears  to  have  had  only  thirty  men 
wounded.  This  general  officer  greatly  praises  the  attitude  of  his  troops. 
The  fire  from  the  mitrailleuses  greatly  tried  the  enemy,  who,  thrown  on  the 
plateau  of  Villejuif,  lost  heavily.  The  military  intendence  and  the  services 
at  its  disposal,  and  the  International  Society  for  the  Help  of  the  Wounded, 
fulfilled  their  mission  with  much  devotedness.  To  resume,  the  combats  of 
September  30  have  proved  to  our  soldiers  how  much  they  are  worth, 
to  their  chiefs  what  they  may  expect  of  them  ;  and  this  day  is  honorable  to 
the  efforts  of  the  defensive  bourgeoise. 

THE  FACTS  OF  THE  SORTIE 
are  as  follows  :  The  French  made  the  sortie  for  two  reasons  : 
First,  Trochu  desired  to  try  his  raw  troops  in  the  presence  of 
the  enemy ;  and,  second,  to  find  out  the  extent  of  the  spade 
work  done  by  the  Prussians.  It  was  a  sortie  in  force,  the 
French  advancing  from  behind  Forts  Ivry,  Bicetre,  and  Mont- 
rouge  in  large  masses,  upon  the  Sixth  Prussian  Corps,  occupy¬ 
ing  the  right  centre  of  the  army  of  the  Crown  Prince.  A  little 
later  in  the  day,  General  Exea  advanced  on  the  extreme 
French  left  towards  Creteil,  assaulting  the  Wiirtembergers  be¬ 
tween  the  Seine  and  Marne.  The  French  advance  was  all 
along  the  south  of  Paris,  from  the  junction  of  the  Marne 
and  Seine  rivers  to  St.  Cloud.  After  the  action  began,  the 
Crown  Prince,  accompanied  by  his  staff,  hastened  from  his 
quarters  at  Versailles  to  the  battle-field,  and  assumed  imme¬ 
diate  command  of  the  troops.  The  French  troops  advanced 
steadily  upon  the  Prussians  under  cover  of  a  heavy  fire  of 
artillery.  Pushing  forward  vigorously  they  struck  the  advance 
posts  of  the  Prussian  Sixth  Corps,  compelling  them  to  fall  back 
upon  the  main  line.  This  they  immediately  assaulted.  After 
nearly  three  hours  of  severe  fighting,  during  which  the  Prussian 
lines  remained  unshaken,  the  French  gave  way  before  a  heavy 
fire  of  artillery,  and  commenced  retreating  rapidly  towards  their 
forts. 

The  Gennans  now  took  the  offensive,  and  vigorously  follow¬ 
ing  the  retreating  French,  succeeded  in  breaking  their  retreat¬ 
ing  columns  into  great  disorder,  and  capturing  400  prisoners. 
The  German  loss  was  between  four  and  five  hundred.  The 
Paris  Temps  says : 

“  Our  loss  was  about  500  wounded  and  400  killed.  The  object  of  the 
sortie  was  to  blow  up  a  bridge  over  the  Seine,  and  arouse  the  courage  of 


SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  r. 


349 


the  Parisians  by  obtaining  a  success  where  the  Prussians  were  not  supposed 
to  be  in  force.  Neither  end  was  attained,  and  Paris  is  consequently  greatly 
depressed.” 

Saturday,  October  i. —  French  blockade  raised.  Falcken- 
stein  orders  lights  and  buoys  replaced.  Bavaria  and  Wiirtem- 
berg  become  members  of  the  German  Confederation.  Russia 
announces  neutrality,  and  adds  :  “A  Turkish  war  would  have 
no  connection  with  the  presetit  conflict."  Balloons  from  Paris. 

BALLOONS  FROM  PARIS. 

Tours,  October  i. —  M.  Tissander,  the  aeronaut,  has  arrived  here  from 
Paris.  He  publishes  in  the  journals  an  interesting  narrative  of  his  balloon 
trip,  and  the  situation  of  affairs  in  Paris  at  the  time  he  left.  He  started 
from  that  city  at  two  o’clock  yesterday  afternoon.  No  Prussians  were  to 
be  seen  near  Paris. 

A  complete  silence  reigned  about  the  city.  There  were  no  people  to  be 
seen  on  the  roads  leading  to  the  city,  and  no  boats  of  any  kind  on  the  river. 
On  nearing  Versailles,  the  Prussians  were  observed  in  great  numbers  in 
camp.  M.  Tissander  dropped  among  them  great  numbers  of  the  procla¬ 
mation  of  the  Government  officers,  which  had  been  printed  in  the  German 
language  for  that  express  purpose.  The  Germans  opened  a  sharp  fire  on 
the  balloon,  but  the  range  was  too  long,  and  no  damage  was  done.  On 
arriving  over  Houdon,  fifteen  miles  south-west  of  Mantes,  the  balloon  be¬ 
gan  to  fall,  and  M.  Tissander  was  obliged  to  throw  out  “ballast.”  For¬ 
tunately,  he  had  several  packages  of  newspapers,  which  answered  the  pur¬ 
pose,  and  he  was  not  obliged  to  throw  over  his  letters  or  sacrifice  anything 
valuable.  The  balloon  then  rose  rapidly,  and  was  carried  along  to  a  point 
near  Dreux,  in  the  Department  of  Eure-et-Loire,  many  miles  west  of  the 
Prussian  lines. 

M.  Tissander  descended  slowly  until  he  came  within  hailing  distance  of  a 
few  peasants,  whom  he  now  saw  for  the  first  time.  These  assured  him 
that  there  was  no  danger  of  capture,  as  no  Prussians  had  yet  been  seen  in 
the  neighborhood.  M.  Tissander  therefore  alighted  on  reaching  an  open 
spot  favorable  to  his  project.  The  balloon  was  properly  secured,  and  the 
letters,  twenty-five  thousand  in  number,  were  placed  in  sacks  and  taken  to 
the  post-office  at  Dreux,  whence  they  will  be  forwarded  in  all  directions, 
wherever  the  lines  of  communication  are  not  interrupted.  A  special  loco¬ 
motive  was  placed  at  the  command  of  M.  Tissander,  at  Dreux,  in  which 
he  came  forward  to  Tours  with  a  large  number  of  despatches  to  the  Gov¬ 
ernment.  Still  another  balloon  from  Paris  passed  over  Evreux  to-day. 

A  BALLOON  BATTLE. 

A  balloon  battle,  the  first  in  the  history  of  the  world,  oc¬ 
curred  over  Paris  to-day.  The  balloon  seems  to  be  especially 
adapted  for  communicating  with  beleaguered  cities.  In  the 
American  war,  the  author  frequently  saw  Union  balloons  in 
front  of  Fredericksburg,  and  on  one  occasion  he  had  the 


350 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


pleasure  of  taking  a  balloon  trip  to  the  height  of  a  thousand 
feet,  while  the  balloon  remained  tied  to  the  ground.  It  was 
left  for  the  French  to  use  the  balloon  at  Metz  and  Paris 
as  a  means  of  communication.  The  balloon  battle  occurred 
to-day  in  this  manner.  M.  Nadar  left  Tours  for  Paris,  with 
Government  despatches,  to-day  at  six  a.m.,  in  the  “Intrepide,” 
arriving  in  view  of  Paris  at  eleven  a.m.  While  M.  Nadar  was 
floating  about  3000  metres  above  Fort  Charenton  in  the  “  In¬ 
trepide,”  a  second  balloon  was  observed  in  the  horizon.  Na¬ 
dar  was  seen  to  display  a  streamer  with  the  French  national 
colors.  Immediately  another  national  flag  floated  from  the  car 
of  the  other  balloon.  Vigorous  hurrahs  and  cries  of  “C’est 
Durouf !”  proceeding  from  the  garrison  of  the  fort,  greeted  the 
appearance  of  the  two  aeronauts,  whose  balloons  gradually 
approached.  When  they  were  within  a  short  distance  of  each 
other,  suddenly  a  loud  report  was  heard  in  the  air,  followed  by 
a  series  of  explosions.  These  were  at  first  thought  to  be 
demonstrations  or  signals  of  victory,  until  Nadar  was  seen  to 
fling  himself  into  the  network  of  his  balloon  and  to  cling  to  its 
sides.  During  this  time  the  other  aeronaut  continued  dis¬ 
charging  shots  at  Nadar,  which  were  traced  in  the  sky  by  their 
luminous  effects.  The  “Intrepide”  descended  rapidly,  and  it 
appeared  to  the  spectators  below  that  some  incomprehensible 
events  had  taken  place  above.  But  mark  what  the  French  flag 
in  the  neighboring  balloon  had  come  to.  It  had  been  removed, 
and  a  black  and  yellow  standard  was  observed  to  be  floating 
in  its  place.  Then  all  was  explained.  “  Treason  !  It  is  a 
Prussian  balloon  !  He  has  fired  on  the  ‘  Intrepide  !’  Nadar  is 
lost !  ”  were  the  cries  that  burst  simultaneously  from  the  French 
people.  But  Nadar  was  safe  ;  for  he  was  seen  to  descend 
rapidly  in  his  car,  and  the  balloon  to  nearly  reach  the  earth. 
He  cast  out  the  ballast,  and  reascended,  having  stopped  the 
hole  made  in  his  balloon  by  his  adversary,  Then  shots  were 
rapidly  fired  from  the  “Intrepide”  into  the  Prussian  balloon, 
which  one,  losing  all  power,  descended  to  the  earth  with  giddy 
velocity.  A  detachment  of  uhlans  who  were  in  the  plain,  and 
who  had  been  following  the  aereal  combatants  throughout  this 
exciting  struggle,  rushed  forward,  and  surrounding  the  balloon, 
received  their  champion,  and  then  all  hastened  off  at  full  speed 
to  the  Prussian  advanced  posts.  In  the  meantime  Nadar 
descended  safely  at  Charenton. 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  FRENCH  LETTER. 

Paris,  October  1. — There  have  left  Paris  since  Thursday,  September 


SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  i. 


351 


29,  no  fewer  than  three  balloons.  The  two  first  were  tied  together  at  the 
top  and  at  the  nacelles,  and  a  smaller  one  was  placed  between  them,  so  as 
to  keep  them  steady.  They  were  mounted  by  M.  Godard  and  by  M. 
Courtin,  an  army  contractor.  Those  gentlemen  descended  the  same  day, 
near  Evreux,  and  arrived  in  Tours  the  next  evening. 

They  started  from  La  Villette  and  passed  over  Mont  Valerien,  being 
then  about  2600  feet  above  the  ground.  It  was  only  after  they  had  gone 
a  mile  at  least  beyond  the  fort  that  they  could  see  the  Prussians.  Some 
shots  were  fired  at  them,  but  without  effect.  They  then  rose  to  5000  feet, 
and  were  for  some  time  becalmed,  or  nearly  so,  over  the  Forest  of  St.  Ger¬ 
main,  where  they  were  again  fired  at.  It  was  somewhere  near  Mantes  that 
they  began  to  descend.  When  they  were  nearing  the  earth,  and,  indeed, 
had  cast  anchor,  and  were  being  driven  along  the  ground  by  a  low  wind, 
they  saw  a  troop  of  horsemen  riding  upon  them  at  great  speed.  They 
thought  they  had  unluckily  fallen  among  Prussians.  They  were  very  much 
relieved  on  finding  these  horsemen  were  free  cavalry  of  M.  Estancelin,  who 
escorted  them  to  their  destination. 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  GERMAN  LETTER. 

Versailles,  October  1.  — A  balloon  went  over  this  place  this  morning 
in  a  westerly  direction,  quite  out  of  shot.  Indeed,  hardly  a  day  passes 
without  one  or  more  balloons  escaping  from  Paris.  Yesterday,  at  St.  Ger¬ 
main,  two,  fastened  together,  came  out  from  Paris,  and,  when  directly 
over  St.  Germain,  dropped  a  heavy  packet  into  the  town.  This  fell  di¬ 
rectly  into  the  Ursuline  Convent.  Away  went  the  Prussian  officers  in 
pursuit ;  but  lo  !  when  they  succeeded  in  obtaining  admittance  to  the  Con¬ 
vent,  no  packet  was  forthcoming,  the  Sisters  unanimously  declaring  that 
they  had  seen  nothing  of  the  kind.  “  Very  well,”  said  the  officer,  “I 
shall  quarter  twenty  hussars  here  to-night,  if  the  packet  does  not  appear, 
and  twenty  more  to-morrow,  and  so  on,  until  the  letters  are  found.” 
Last  night,  as  I  passed  the  Convent  on  my  way  to  dine  with  a  French 
banker,  I  saw  one  of  the  green  hussars  on  guard  at  the  lowest  door  —  a 
sight  somewhat  unusual.  This  morning  the  packet  must  have  appeared, 
as,  on  driving  by  the  Convent  door,  I  saw  no  sentry  on  duty.  The  bal¬ 
loon  which  brought  this  much-sought-after  packet  had  some  half-dozen 
shots  fired  at  it  as  it  went  over  the  Seine —  of  course  without  result,  as  it 
was  at  least  2000  yards  above  the  river.  “  Ah,  if  we  had  only  a  chasse- 
p  jt,  we  would  bring  it  down,”  said  an  aide-de-camp  to  me.  But  it  sailed 
on  unmolested,  the  object  of  a  hundred  glasses. 

A  few  days  ago,  at  Argenteuil,  a  balloon  was  not  so  lucky,  as  it  was  hit 
by  three  shots  and  came  toppling  over,  and  its  contents,  two  French  officers 
and  some  3000  letters,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Eighty-sixth  Regiment, 
quartered  at  Argenteuil. 

THE  BLOCKADE. 

As  the  raising  of  the  blockade  has  now  been  made  known 
officially  to  the  neutral  States,  the  navigation  of  the  Elbe  and 
Weser  has  again  commenced,  and  a  considerable  number  of 
neutral  vessels  have  already  arrived  at  Bremerhaven  and  Ham¬ 
burg.  Efficient  steps  are  also  making  to  replace  the  buoys  and 
beacons  without  delay  all  the  way  down  the  river,  and  the 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


o~o 

OOJi 

lightships  have  been  sent  down,  and  will  again  resume  their 
stations  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe  either  to-day  or  to-morrow. 
German  vessels  have  to  run  the  risk  of  capture.  The  blockade 
lasted  one  month.  The  French  papers  valued  the  damages 
done  to  the  German  commerce  at  5,000,000  francs  per  day. 
This  admission  is  the  more  important  to  German  shippers,  as 
the  damages  of  about  $1,000,000  per  day  to  be  assessed  for 
this  item  the  Germans  expect  France  to  pay. 

Sunday,  October  2.  —  Sortie  at  Metz,  and  the  village  of 
Nouilly  burnt.  Provisions  in  Paris  becoming  scarce. 


Monday,  October  3.  —  Admiral  Fourichon  resigns  the 
French  portfolio  of  war,  but  remains  in  the  cabinet  at  the  head 
of  the  navy.  General  De  Caen  dies  of  wounds  in  Metz. 

General  Schmeling  crosses  the  Rhine  at  Mulhouse  with  the 
Fourth  Division  of  landwehr,  to  join  General  Werder  in  opera¬ 
tions  against  Lyons  and  BesanQon. 

AMERICAN  GERMANS  ON  ALSACE  AND  LOR¬ 
RAINE. 

At  a  large  meeting  in  St.  Louis  the  following  address  is 
adopted  and  cabled  to  Count  Bismarck : 

TO  THE  GERMAN  PEOPLE : 

Brethren  :  The  struggle  which  French  audacity  forced 
upon  you  is  closing.  Marching  with  your  leaders,  under  the 
holy  banner  of  the  Fatherland,  with  a  bravery  unequalled  and 
discipline  which  can  only  be  obtained  by  a  high  civilization, 
you  entered  France  and  your  cause  was  victorious.  We  ask 
that  you  will  make  the  fortresses  which  have  heretofore  menaced 
you  the  guards  of  your  border  ;  that  you  will  retain  Alsace  and 
Lorraine ,  of  which  you  were  robbed ;  and  demand  reimbursement 
for  the  expenses  of  the  war.  Let  German  unity  and  a  full  and 
free  representation  of  the  people  in  parliament  be  the  reward 
of  your  bravery. 

Wednesday,  October  5. —King  William  moves  the  royal 
headquarters  from  Ferri^res,  and  holds  a  grand  review  at  Ver¬ 
sailles. 


VERSAILLES,  OCTOBER  2. 


353 


KING  WILLIAM  IN  VERSAILLES. 

The  entry  of  the  King  into  Versailles  to-day  was  a  great  his¬ 
torical  event.  The  Crown  Prince,  attended  by  General  Von 
Blumenthal,  Count  Eulenberg,  Colonel  Von  Gottberg,  and  a 
certain  number  of  the  members  of  his  staff,  left  Les  Ombrages 
early  in  the  afternoon,  in  order  to  meet  the  King  on  his  way  to 
the  confines  of  his  command. 

At  5.35  the  cheers  of  the  troops  who  lined  the  Rue  de  Chan- 
tiers  heralded  the  arrival  of  the  King  at  last.  The  officers  in 
front  of  the  Prefecture  formed  front.  The  cheers  sounded 
nearer.  A  peloton  of  lancers  with  their  lances  lowered  swept 
round  the  corner,  and  took  post  on  the  right  front  of  the  Pre¬ 
fecture.  These  were  followed  by  a  small  body  of  dragoons  or 
gendarmerie.  Then  came  the  Stahlmeister  and  some  mounted 
equerries,  closely  followed  by  a  General  or  field-officer,  at 
whose  heels  clattered  a  troop  of  lancers,  with  lances  raised, 
who  wheeled  round  and  halted  on  the  flank  of  the  rest  of  the 
squadron.  Next,  in  an  open  carriage,  appeared  the  King.  He 
was  covered  with  dust,  but  he  looked  wonderfully  well  and 
strong.  On  his  left  was  the  Crown  Prince,  dusty,  and  vigorous- 
looking  also.  The  troops  cheered,  the  colors  were  lowered, 
the  band  burst  into  a  wild  triumphal  blare  of  drums  and  trum¬ 
pets,  and  the  whole  crowd  of  officers,  with  upraised  casques  and 
caps  and  shakos,  shouted  lustily.  The  caleche  drew  up  some 
thirty  yards  in  front  of  the  Prefecture,  and  the  King  bounded 
rather  than  stepped  out  of  it,  followed  by  the  Crown  Prince. 
His  officers  pressed  forward  to  greet  him,  and,  with  that  peculiar 
mixture  of  profound  respect  and  heartiness  which  we  cannot 
imitate,  thronged  close  to  the  King.  He  shook  hands  most 
warmly  with  Generals  Von  Kirchbach,  Voigts  Rhetz,  and 
others,  and  then,  with  the  Crown  Prince  a  little  behind  him, 
strode  off  to  inspect,  according  to  custom,  the  color  company, 
drawn  up  on  the  left  of  the  Palace,  which  received  him  with 
the  usual  honors.  His  Majesty  walked  along  the  front  of  the 
line,  and  as  he  went,  the  crowd  of  Princes,  Dukes,  Generals, 
and  officers  broke  from  their  places  and  followed  him,  being  in 
turn  hemmed  in  by  the  crowd,  to  whom  in  general  the  gendar¬ 
merie  were  very  indulgent.  There  was  no  space  cleared,  no 
border  kept,  and  the  people  got  quite  close  to  the  person  of 
the  royal  conqueror.  The  excitement  was  great.  As  the  King 
turned  he  shook  hands  with  the  members  of  the  great  German 
Confederation,  whose  soldiers  fight  under  his  banners,  stopp¬ 
ing  now  and  then  to  talk  to  some  old  soldier  servant  or  some 


354 


THE  FRANC0-PRUSS1AN  WAR. 


familiar  friend,  and,  followed  by  the  Crown  Prince,  General 
Blumenthal,  Colonel  Gottberg,  and  his  Staff,  he  strode  at  last, 
vigorous,  straight,  and  strong,  into  the  courtyard  of  the  Prefec¬ 
ture,  turned  round  and  saluted  the  uniformed  multitude,  and 
then  passed  into  the  hall,  over  the  portal  of  which  was  waving 
the  royal  standard.  The  crowd  slowly  dispersed,  but  it  was 
long  before  the  groups  of  citizens  were  broken  up,  and  they 
stood  in  front  of  the  Prefecture  in  the  moonlight,  talking  of 
their  new  visitor.  “  C’est  un  bel  homme ,  ce  vieux  Guillaume ; 
mais  jes  serais  tres  content ,  pourtant ,  de  it  avoir  pas  vu  le  bon 
Roi  de  Prusse  cl  Versailles 

Count  Bismarck  came  into  the  Hotel  des  Reservoirs  at  6.30, 
dusty  and  hungry,  with  a  few  officers  of  the  Royal  Staff,  and 
ordered  dinner  in  the  salle  cl  manger ,  which  was  crowded  with 
the  habitues  of  the  place.  Recognizing  General  Burnside,  who 
was  seated  at  a  table  with  General  Sheridan,  General  Forsyth, 
and  Mr.  Forbes,  he  took  a  chair  beside  them,  and  spoke  for 
some  time  in  the  easiest  and  pleasantest  way  possible  with  the 
former  respecting  his  visit  to  Paris. 

STRANGE  REILGIOUS  CELEBRATION  AT  METZ. 

Metz,  October  5. —  To-day  is  the  Jewish  Feast  of  the  Taber¬ 
nacles.  The  Jewish  Kippur  is  being  celebrated  by  1200  Jews 
in  front  of  Metz.  It  is  a  strange  scene  to  see  these  devoted 
Jews  praying  in  their  uniforms  and  cloaks,  while  their  Christian 
brothers  stand  guard  over  them  to  prevent  an  assault  from 
Bazaine. 

There  is  a  very  liberal  religious  sentiment  in  Prussia,  and 
this  nation,  which  once  legislated  against  the  Jews,  confiscated 
their  lands  and  persecuted  them  with  fire  and  sword,  now  forms 
around  them  a  wall  of  Christian  soldiery  while  they  pray  the 
great  prayers  of  their  faith.  It  is  a  beautiful,  a.  Christian  sight , 
to  see  this  little  band  of  the  children  of  Israel  thus  protected  in 
their  religious  rights.  It  is  the  Old  Testament  watched  over  by 
the  New. 

Thursday,  October  6. —  Defeat  of  the  new  French  army  of 
the  Rhone  at  Epinal,  forty  miles  south-west  of  Strasburg,  by 
General  Werder.  Bazaine  commences  his  four-day  sortie 
from  Metz. 

THE  FIGHT  AT  EPINAL. 

To-day,  for  the  first  time,  the  veteran  Prussian  troops  met  the 


THE  KING,  MOLTKE,  BISMARCK,  OCTOBER  6.  355 


newly-organized  troops  of  Southern  France  —  the  forlorn  hope 
of  the  Republic.  The  French  army  which  fought  to-day  near 
Epinal  (St.  Rerny)  was  organized  in  Dijon,  Saone,  and  Haute 
Marne,  and  was  the  advance  of  the  new  southern  army.  The 
troops  engaged  in  the  fight  were  chiefly  Mobiles,  under  General 
Dupre.  The  Prussian  forces  were  under  General  Werder,  with 
General  Von  Dagenfeld,  chief  of  the  Baden  division,  and  Gen¬ 
eral  Schmeling  commanding  the  landwehr.  The  battle  lasted 
from  nineA.M.  until  four  p.m.,  and  was  hotly  contested  between 
10,000  Germans  and  about  the  same  number  of  French.  The 
German  loss  was  410  men  and  twenty  officers  killed  and 
wounded,  and  of  the  French  2000  were  placed  hors  de  combat, 
the  Germans  capturing  sixty  officers  and  600  men.  The  Baden- 
ers  bivouacked  upon  the  victorious  field,  and  the  remaining 
French  retreated  toward  Dijon. 

The  battle  is  of  consequence,  as  the  first  of  a  series  planned 
and  executed  by  the  released  garrison  of  Strasburg  under  Von 
Werder  against  the  southern  French  Army  of  the  Rhone.  War 
Minister  Von  Roon  says  in  an  official  report  that  the  German 
troops  need  have  no  farther  fear  of  French  opposition  in  the 
south. 

THE  KING  AND  THE  FOUNTAINS  OF  VER¬ 
SAILLES. 

To-day  all  the  grand  fountains  of  Versailles  played  in  honor 
of  his  Majesty,  King  William,  who  showed  himself  to  the  good 
people  of  Versailles  for  more  than  an  hour  in  the  palace  gar¬ 
dens.  The  town  is  very  gay,  as  two  headquarters  are  now  con¬ 
centrated  here,  and  princes  are  as  common  as  blackberries. 

Yesterday  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg,  brother  of  the 
late  Prince  Albert  of  England,  said,  “  The  French  must  be 
thoroughly  beaten,  for  I  am  afraid  that  they  will  want  to  go  to 
war  again  as  soon  as  the  recollection  of  their  present  disasters 
has  in  the  least  degree  passed  away.  We  must  therefore  take 
away  from  them  the  power  of  hurting  us.  We  are  now  sending 
an  army  to  Lyons,  and  so  the  south  of  France  will  learn  what 
a  terrible  thing  war  is,  and  will  wish  for  peace  as  earnestly  as 
do  the  inhabitants  of  the  East.” 

VON  MOLTKE  AND  BISMARCK. 

What  a  change  ?  In  1867  the  author  saw  nothing  but  light¬ 
hearted  gayety  in  the  alley  of  the  three  grand  Versailles  fountains. 
Now  crowds —  German  crowds  —  clad  in  the  grim  armor  of  war 
line  the  lovely  walks.  Yonder  comes  a  quiet,  thoughtful  walker, 


35G 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


unattended,  absorbed  in  deep  thought.  There  is  a  buzz  of 
voices.  “  Is  that  really  Von  Moltke  ?  ”  “  Where  ?  ”  “  You 

see  that  tall,  thin  man,  without  any  moustache  or  whiskers,  his 
hands  behind  his  back  —  the  officer  with  the  grayish  hair,  very 
short,  and  a  face  cut  with  many  fine  lines,  his  head  slightly 
stooped,  the  eyebrows  pronounced,  and  the  eyes  deep  set  ? 
There  is  the  man  whom  the  Junkers  of  Berlin  called  ‘the  old 
schoolmaster.’  What  a  lesson  he  has  taught  the  Austrians  and 
French  !  ”  “  Is  that  the  strategist  who  caught  Benedek  in  a 

vice  at  lvoniggratz,  mouse-trapped  Bazaine  at  Metz,  and  netted 
an  Emperor,  a  Marshal  of  France,  and  150,000  men  at 
Sedan,  and  who  is  now  angling  for  such  an  enormous  prize  as 
the  capital  of  France?”  “He  looks  very  grave.”  “He  is 
always  so.  But  there,  you  see,  striding  through  this  crowd,  is 
a  very  different-looking  person.”  “  Yes  !  who  is  that  frank, 
smiling  major  of  dragoons?  He  comes  this  way — the  officer 
in  the  white  cap  and  yellow  band,  dark  blue  or  nearly  black 
double-breasted  frock  coat  with  yellow  collar,  taller  than  the  tall 
officers  around  him? ”  “That  is  Count  Bismarck.”  There  is 
a  stir  wherever  he  goes  —  caps  touched  and  hats  raised.  He 
makes  straight  for  a  little  knot  of  Americans  —  General  Burn¬ 
side  in  plain  clothes,  General  Sheridan,  General  Hazen,  and 
General  Forsyth,  in  uniform,  but  without  swords.  You  hear  his 
laugh  above  the  murmurs  of  the  crowd,  and  the  wave  of  sound 
in  which  his  name,  “  Bismarck,”  is  borne.  How  heartily  he 
shakes  hands  with  them,  buoyant  and  free,  elated  as  some  offi¬ 
cer  might  be  who  had  just  won  promotion  on  a  battle-field. 
All  the  world  knows  the  soulless  likeness  out  of  which  even 
photography  has  failed,  however,  to  take  all  expression  ;  but 
one  must  have  actual  experience  of  the  peculiar  vivacity,  or 
rather  penetration  of  his  glance,  as  it  is  emitted  from  under 
those  tremendous  shaggy  eyebrows,  to  measure  the  power  of 
Iris  face  —  the  one  grand  overwhelming  force  of  which  is,  to 
my  mind,  intrepidity  —  an  immense,  audacious  courage,  physi¬ 
cal  and  mental,  and  a  will  before  which  every  obstacle  must 
yield  or  be  turned.  The  people  were  never  tired  of  looking  at 
him,  and  Grand  Dukes  and  Princes  were  of  small  account  as 
long  as  he  was  to  be  seen,  the  Prince  of  Hohenzollern  being, 
however,  an  exception  to  the  remark  —  “  the  fair  pretext  of  the 
war,”  as  a  lady  called  him,  alluding  to  his  blonde  complexion 
and  hair ;  and  indeed,  to  use  Scott’s  words  of  Claverhouse, 
his  face  is  such  an  one  “  as  limners  love  to  paint,  and  ladies  to 
look  upon.”  There  were  men  of  note  there,  too  —  Generals 


METZ,  OCTOBER  7. 


337 


of  renown  and  the  owners  of  names  which  history  will  make 
famous  ;  and  there  were  Princes,  Grand  Dukes,  and  Dukes 
waiting  for  the  King  and  his  staff — the  reigning  Duke  of  Co¬ 
burg,  the  Prince  (Bender)  of  Wiirtemberg,  the  young  Erbprinz 
of  Mecklenburg-Strelitz,  two  Royal  Dukes  of  Wiirtemberg,  the 
Duke  of  Augustenburg,  Prince  Adalbert  and  Prince  Albrecht, 
General  Voigts  Rhetz,  General  Von  Kirchbach,  Col.  Von  Gott- 
berg,  and  hosts  of  others,  coming  “to  see  the  waters  play  before 
the  King.”  Amid  the  galaxy  of  uniforms  and  orders  you  look  in 
vain  for  some  feeble  representative  of  France.  Where  is  the 
gorgeous  hussar  of  the  Empress  —  the  splendid  dragon- 
vert,  with  his  leopard-skin  helmet?  Gone — gone  the  way  of 
earthly  glory.  A  few  mob-capped  women,  nurses,  and  children, 
an  old  woman  with  cakes,  and  a  wounded  soldier,  represent 
France  to-day  before  the  gorgeous  fountains  of  Versailles. 

Friday,  Oct.  7th. — Gen.  Garibaldi  arrives  in  Marseilles,  and 
joins  the  Republican  forces.  Bazaine  makes  a  grand  sortie 
from  Metz. 

BAZAINE’S  SORTIE  OF  THE^istand  ist. 

Bazaine,  true  to  his  private  despatch  to  MacMahon  on  the 
2 2d  of  July,  has  made  unceasing  efforts  to  escape  from  Metz. 
The  first  grand  sortie  was  on  the  31st  of  July,  while  MacMa¬ 
hon  was  fighting  at  Sedan.  This  sortie  was  toward  the  north 
and  east,  —  Nouilly,  Servigny,  Grimont,  Malroy,  Colombey, 
Retonfay — and  against  the  forces  of  Manteuffel  and  Rummer, 
under  the  direction  of  Gen.  Stiehle,  chief  of  staff,  Second  army. 
This  sortie  was  grand  and  bloody,  the  Germans  losing  in  the  two 
days  (31st  and  Aug.  ist),  killed,  1 7  officers,  314  men  ;  wounded, 
officers,  96 ;  men,  855  ;  missing,  1490.  (See  p.  233) 

GENERAL  STIEHLE’ S  DESPATCH  TO  PRINCE  CHARLES. 

From  the  morning  of  August  31,  to  mid-day  of  September  1,  Marshal 
Bazaine  has  almost  unceasingly  attempted,  with  several  corps  from  Metz,  to 
break  through  toward  the  north.  General  Manteuffel,  under  chief  com¬ 
mand  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  has  repulsed  all  these  attempts  in  glo¬ 
rious  battles,  which  may  be  united  under  the  name  of  Battle  of  NoisseviUe. 
The  enemy  were  again  thrown  back  into  the  fortress.  The  First  and  .Tinth 
Corps,  Rummer’s  division  (line  and  landwehr),  and  the  Twenty-eighth  in¬ 
fantry  brigade,  took  part  in  the  battle.  The  principal  fighting  took  place 
at  Servigny,  Noisseville,  and  Retonfay.  Night  surprises  were  repulsed 
with  East-Prussian  bayonets  and  clubbed  muskets.  Our  losses  not  yet  as¬ 
certained,  but  not  very  large  proportionally  ;  those  of  the  enemy  heavy. 


35S 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


THE  GRAND  SORTIE  OF  Oct.  7th. 

To-day  the  greatest  battle  around  Metz  since  Gravelotte  has 
been  fought  in  the  valley  of  the  Moselle  —  that  portion  extend¬ 
ing  like  a  basin  northward  towards  Maizi^res.  Bazaine,  with 


50,000  men,  threw  himself  against  the  Fifth  Corps  (Kirchbach), 
Tenth  (Voigts  Rhetz),  and  three  brigades  of  landwehr.  Ba- 
zaine’s  design  was  to  push  back  the  Prussian  army  and  regain  his 
communication  with  Thionville,  seventeen  miles  to  the  north. 


METZ ,  SORTIE,  OCTOBER  7. 


350 


The  following  is  a  picture  of  the  position  before  the  engagement. 
On  the  northeastern  outskirt  of  Metz  is  Fort  Julien  ;  a  mile 
farther,  in  the  sweeping  valley  of  the  Moselle,  is  Fort  Floy  ;  and 
just  out  of  the  range  of  her  long  guns,  five  miles  to  the  north,  is 
Maizieres.  On  the  west  bank  of  the  Moselle,  along  the  high  hills, 
are  Semecourt  and  Fremecourt,  near  Maizieres,  and  nearer  to 
Metz,  St.  Remy,  and  Ladonchamps.  Along  the  banks  of  the 
water  are  Maxe,  Olgy,  Argancy,  and  Amelange,  within  range 
of  Fort  Julien. 

The  Prussian  guns  from  Fremecourt  and  Semecourt,  over¬ 
looking  the  grand  valley  of  the  Moselle,  prevented  French  com¬ 
munication  with  Thionville.  The  Prussian  Tenth  Corps  was  sta¬ 
tioned  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Moselle,  near  Argancy  ;  while  the 
Fifth  and  landwehr  divisions  held  the  plain  from  Argancy  across 
to  Semecourt,  in  front  of  the  guns  of  Maizieres.  (See  map.) 

THE  COMMENCEMENT. 

From  these  several  positions  the  bombardment  of  Fort  St.  Eloy 
had  been  going  on,  and  also  a  shell-fire  into  the  village  of  Ladon¬ 
champs,  some  little  distance  nearer  Metz  than  St.  Remy,  and 
on  the  line  of  railway. 

On  the  6th,  nearly  one  thousand  shells  having  been  thrown 
into  Ladonchamps  and  around  it,  the  French,  late  in  the  even¬ 
ing,  had  evacuated  the  shattered  ruins  of  the  once  smiling 
village.  The  Prussians  at  once  threw  forward  troops  in  the 
direction  of  the  village,  establishing  their  reserves  in  its  rear, 
and  sending  forward  sergeants’  squads  to  occupy  it  and  the 
villages  of  Grand  Estapes  and  Petit  Estapes,  to  which  its  pos¬ 
session  was  the  key,  St.  Remy  constituting  the  chief  support. 
There  lay  the  Fifty-ninth  Regiment  of  the  landwehr.  Maxe, 
close  to  the  river  and  considerably  in  advance,  was  occupied 
by  outposts  sent  forward  from  the  Tenth  Army  Corps,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Moselle. 

The  two  divisions  of  the  landwehr  stretched  athwart  the 
valley  from  the  bridge  at  Argancy,  where  they  touched  the 
Tenth  Army  Corps,  to  near  Merange,  where  they  met  the  Fifth 
Army  Corps,  and  to  them  was  confided  the  duty  of  holding  the 
flat  alluvial  tract  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Moselle. 

At  Maizieres  was  the  headquarters  of  General  Von  Rummer, 
who  commands  the  landwehr.  The  guns  of  the  Prussian 
batteries  by  Semecourt  began  to  be  heard. 

The  roar  of  the  guns  grew  louder  and  louder,  and  there 
came  first  one  heavy  “boom,”  and  then  another  from  the  big 


360 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


guns  lying  behind  at  Fremecourt.  The  officers  fidgeted,  but 
would  not  yet  own  that  anything  serious  was  taking  place. 
Their  nonchalance  gave  way  at  last  when  an  aide-de-camp  came 
up  at  a  gallop,  spreading  alarm  everywhere  as  he  went,  and 
dashing  on  to  the  General’s  quarters  for  instructions  to  guide 
the  front.  In  five  minutes  more,  through  the  fog  Bazaine 
could  be  seen  advancing  from  Fort  Julien.  There  were  Prus¬ 
sians  in  all  the  little  villages  just  evacuated  by  the  French  ;  in 
Maxe,  St.  Rerny,  Olgy,  Malroy,  Grand  Estapes,  and  Petit 
Estapes.  Bazaine  had  laid  his  plan  with  great  art.  Covered 
by  the  fog,  he  had  made  his  dispositions  with  such  adroitness, 
that  when  it  lifted  a  little  past  one  o’clock,  they  were  already 
nearly  complete.  In  the  first  instance  he  directed  a  long  as¬ 
sault  on  Ladonchamps.  The  landwehr  outpost  held  the  place 
as  if  they  were  ten  thousand  instead  of  one  hundred  men,  and 
the  French  sent  their  infantry  swarming  into  it,  while  their 
artillery  played  upon  it. 

It  certainly  seemed  that,  if  anything  could  convince  the 
French  of  their  imprudence,  the  Prussian  artillery  might.  The 
white  spurts  of  smoke  were  visible  all  around  the  valley.  On 
the  right  front  the  batteries  at  Semecourt  were  hard  at  work, 
and  also  others  nearer,  down  the  flat  ;  while  the  great  guns  at 
Fremecourt  were  sending  shells  at  a  low  range  right  over  La¬ 
donchamps  among  the  advancing  French.  Then  on  the  Prus¬ 
sian  left,  at  Amelange,  two  other  batteries  were  maintaining  a 
semi-cross  fire ;  and  from  the  bluffs  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Moselle,  between  Olgy  and  Malroy,  the  Prussian  field  artillery 
was  roaring. 

THE  BATTLE. 

The  attack  on  Ladonchamps  was  a  diversion.  Suddenly 
the  villages  of  Grand  and  Petit  Estapes,  of  St.  Remy  and  Maxe, 
were  overwhelmed  by  an  avalanche  of  Frenchmen.  The  Fifty- 
ninth  landwehr,  in  St.  Remy,  would  not  fall  back,  as  it  should 
in  common  prudence  have  done ;  but  stood  there  in  the 
streets  until  the  French,  having  played  upon  it  with  their  artil¬ 
lery,  and  rained  chassepot  and  mitrailleuse  bullets,  finally 
pushed  backward  the  shattered  remnant  to  the  high  road 
by  sheer  dint  of  numbers.  The  fusileer  battalion  of  the  Fifty- 
eighth  Regiment  occupied  Grand  Estapes ;  and  it  occupies 
Grand  Estapes  now,  but  the  occupants  are  the  dead  and 
wounded.  The  battalion  would  not  give  ground,  and  may  be 
said  to  have  been  annihilated  as  it  stood  —  the  men  with  their 


METZ  — SORTIE,  OCTOBER  7. 


361 


backs  to  the  walls  and  their  faces  to  the  foe.  The  other  bat¬ 
talions  of  the  same  regiment  suffered  terribly. 

So  far,  then,  Bazaine  had  succeeded.  He  had  occupied  the 
chain  of  villages  athwart  the  valley,  and  had  placed  a  few  bat¬ 
teries  of  artillery  out  on  their  front  to  reply  to  the  Prussian  fire. 
But  this  statu  quo  he  neither  wished  to  nor  could  maintain. 
The  Prussian  artillery,  throwing  their  projectiles  from  three 
sides  of  the  parallelogram,  interfered  with  the  comfortable 
realization  of  such  a  conception.  It  seems  clear  that  Bazaine 
would  not  have  done  what  he  did,  if  he  had  not  contemplated 
something  more.  That  something,  I  have  not  the  remotest 
doubt,  was  a  sortie  to  establish  communications  with  Thion- 
ville.  His  tactics  were  well  conceived.  From  St.  Remy  and 
the  two  Estapes  he  kept  the  Prussian  fire  engaged  with  mus¬ 
ketry  and  artillery.  He  sent  forward  from  Grand  Estapes  great 
swarms  of  sharpshooters,  who  fared  extremely  ill  at  the  hands 
of  the  landwehr.  Besides  this,  he  massed  a  great  body  of  men, 
nearly  30,000  in  all,  on  the  bank  of  the  Moselle,  under  cover 
of  the  houses  of  Maxe,  and  sent  them  forward  to  cut  through 
the  Prussian  environment  where  it  was  weakest,  close  to  the 
river. 

The  moment  was  a  critical  one.  The  landwehr  had  all  been 
sent  forward  against  the  villages,  with  the  exception  of  one 
brigade  that  was  in  reserve,  but  the  Tenth  Army  Corps  had 
been  crossing  the  pontoon  bridge,  and  was  massing  between 
the  river  and  Amelange.  There  General  Von  Voight  was  in 
command  of  the  back  operations,  and  he  gave  the  order  for 
several  regiments  to  advance.  The  movement  was  a  sight  not 
easily  to  be  forgotten.  First  came  the  fusileers,  extending  at  a 
rapid  run  into  skirmishing  order,  and  covering  the  whole  plain 
with  their  long,  thin  lines.  Then  came  the  dense  columns  of 
companies  of  grenadiers,  the  bands  playing  and  the  colors  un¬ 
furled.  But  all  the  work  was  not  left  for  the  infantry  to  do : 
the  artillery  entered  the  village  alone,  and  concentrated  their 
fire  on  the  French  columns  advancing  by  the  Moselle.  Bazaine 
is  singularly  weak  in  field  artillery,  and  the  only  reply  to  the 
Prussian  fire  was  from  the  sullen  sides  of  Fort  St.  Julien  or 
from  the  ramparts  of  St.  Eloy.  But  the  mitrailleuse  ven¬ 
omously  sounded  its  angry  whirr,  making  the  skirmishers  re¬ 
coil  narrowly  as  they  crossed  the  line  of  fire,  and  tearing  chasms 
in  the  fronts  of  the  solid  masses  of  which  they  were  the  fore¬ 
runners. 

The  artillery  and  the  skirmishers  were  enough  for  the  French. 

10 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


3G2 

Their  dense  columns  staggered,  and  then  broke  apart.  They 
ran  pell-mell  into  the  village  of  Maxe ;  but  when  once  they 
had  walls  of  stone  and  lime  between  them  and  the  Prussians, 
they  became  obstinate,  and  would  go  no  further.  In  vain  the 
Prussian  artillery  fired  upon  the  village,  advancing  closer  and 
closer  in  alternate  order  of  batteries,  with  a  precision  and 
rapidity  that  could  not  have  been  exceeded  on  parade.  That 
obstinate  battery  in  front  of  Grand  Estapes  would  not  be  si¬ 
lenced,  and  the  French  sharpshooters  still  lined  the  highway  in 
its  front.  By  this  time  it  was  nearly  four  o’clock. 

ADVANCE  IN  FORCE. 

As  the  Prussians  stood  in  this  suspense,  a  staff  officer  gal¬ 
loped  along  the  front  line,  with  orders  for  a  general  advance, 
to  take  the  village  by  storm.  The  advance  was  to  consist  of 
four  brigades  of  the  landwehr,  with  two  brigades  of  the  Tenth 
Army  Corps  supporting.  In  a  few  minutes  more  the  command 
came  sounding  along  the  line,  and  the  men  sprang  from  their 
cover  and  went  forward  with  that  steady,  quick  step,  so  char¬ 
acteristic  of  the  Prussian  marching.  The  shells  from  the 
battery  of  Grand  Estapes  tore  through  the  line ;  the  mitrailleuse 
and  chassepot  bullets  poured  against  it  their  leaden  hail ;  but 
still  the  landwehr,  silent  and  stern,  marched  steadily  to  the 
front.  I  never  knew  a  more  furious  fire  than  that  to  which  the 
centre  of  this  line  was  exposed.  General  Von  Brandenstein, 
commanding  the  Third  brigade  of  landwehr,  was  shot  down  as 
he  rode,  and  several  of  his  staff  were  wounded.  At  length  the 
entrenchments  were  reached,  behind  which  were  lying  the  shat¬ 
tered  remnants  of  the  Fifty-eighth  and  Fifty-ninth  landwehr. 
The  fraternization  consisted  of  “  Hurrah  Preussen  /”  and  then, 
“  Vorwarts !  Immer  vorwarts  !  ”  and  the  line  threw  itself  to 
the  front  in  a  run.  The  gunners  from  the  battery  drove  on. 
The  stubborn  French  had  barely  time  to  run  around  the  corner 
before  the  landwehr  were  upon  them. 

The  French  left  their  guns  perforce.  They  made  a  last 
stand  in  the  villages,  but  it  would  have  been  better  for  them 
had  they  run  away  at  first.  The  landwehr,  with  less  of  the 
conventional  warriors  in  them  than  the  line,  are  not  so  much 
inclined  to  give  quarter  as  are  the  professional  soldiers.  With 
many  a  Frenchman  this  afternoon,  the  first  shock  consisted  of 
a  bayonet  thrust.  The  French  fought  “  like  devils  ”  in  the 
narrow  streets  of  the  villages,  and  used  the  mitrailleuses  with 
fair  judgment  and  effect.  But  there  came  upon  them  the 
steady,  inexorable  forward  stride  of  the  landwehr.  The 


SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  8. 


363 


bayonet  obtained  force  from  that  strength  of  back  and  thigh 
which  is  the  leading  athletic  characteristic  of  the  Prussian,  and 
the  villages  were  cleared  of  all,  save  the  victors,  the  dead,  and 
the  wounded.  To  the  landwehr  must  be  conceded  the  honor 
of  the  fray.  They  it  was  who  checked  the  rush  of  the  French 
advance,  by  holding  the  villages  till  they  had  not  a  man  left 
who  could  stand  upright  and  fire  the  needle-gun.  To  them 
was  entrusted  the  grand  final  advance  which  swept  the  French 
out  of  the  villages. 

Saturday,  October  3th.  —  An  extraordinary  session  of  the 
American  Cabinet  approves  a  proclamation  enforcing  American 
neutrality.  Gambetta,  the  French  Minister  of  the  Interior,  leaves 
Paris  for  Tours  in  a  balloon,  amid  great  excitement.  Food 
begins  to  be  scarce  in  Paris. 

THE  BALLOON  VOYAGE  OF  MINISTER 
GAMBETTA. 

The  event  of  Paris  to-day  was  the  departure  of  Gambetta, 
the  Minister  of  the  Interior,  on  his  balloon  voyage  for  Tours. 
The  trials  of  the  siege  were  forgotten  for  the  moment,  and  all 
Paris  was  wrought  up  to  a  high  pitch  of  excitement.  What 
a  change  has  sixty  days  wrought  !  Sixty  days  ago,  and  the 
Paris  press  were  talking  about  carrying  on  the  war  for  the 
]epossession  of  the  Rhine  boundary;  now  350,000  Prussians 
frown  down  upon  Paris,  and  the  Minister  of  the  Interior  flees 
the  Capital  in  a  balloon.  Unfortunate  Gambetta  !  Let  the 
reader  but  imagine  our  Secretary  Fish  or  Mr.  Boutwell,  or  the 
ex-Premier  Seward,  sailing  from  Washington  in  a  balloon. 

THE  START. 

M.  Nadar  had  the  balloon  ready  at  it  a.m.  The  Minister 
of  the  Interior  appeared  at  this  moment.  The  vast  crowd  ex¬ 
perienced  great  relief  as  he  donned  his  cap  and  fur  coat,  and 
entered  the  car.  Gambetta  is  a  man  of  nerve,  but  he  is  un¬ 
accustomed  to  the  queer  sensation  incident  to  a  balloon  trip. 
He  clutches  the  shrouding  convulsively,  and  his  color  becomes 
almost  livid.  An  additional  line  of  rope  is  thrown  around  the 
shrouds  of  the  car.  to  prevent  the  delicate  Minister  from  falling 
out.  Following  Gambetta  come  two  secretaries,  bags  of  let¬ 
ters  and  baskets  of  carrier  pigeons. 

M.  Nadar  gave  the  order,  '■'■Laches  tout!" 


364 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


The  balloon  rises  majestically  from  the  earth,  amid  cheers 
from  the  crowd.  Handkerchiefs  wave  all  over  Paris,  and 
“Five  la  Republique"  is  shouted  forth  by  thousands  of  tongues 
as  the  aerial  travellers  unfurl  the  French  flag. 

AN  ALARM. 

Near  Montmartre,  a  steep  hill  rises  abruptly  from  the  Place 
St.  Pierre.  As  the  balloons  pass  over  the  spot  they  appear 
to  descend  rapidly.  Everybody  is  petrified  with  fear.  Horror 
is  depicted  on  the  faces  of  the  people.  The  appearance  at  the 
moment  is  beyond  the  power  of  the  pen  to  describe.  The 
Minister  of  the  Interior  contracts  his  arms,  and  it  is  thought 
that  the  letter  bags,  the  contents  of  which  are  expected  to  con¬ 
vey  hope  and  new  life  to  thousands  of  persons,  will  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  Prussian  soldiers. 

What  a  relief? 

The  balloon  sails  steadily  onward  and  upward,  Paris  shouts 
again  and  again,  “  Vive  Gambetta,"  and  the  scene  is  over. 

OUTSIDE  OF  PARIS. 

Gambetta  descends  at  Mont  Dizier.  His  voyage  was  full 
of  adventure.  As  the  balloon  came  near  the  ground,  just  out¬ 
side  of  Paris,  the  secretaries  threw  out  ballast,  and  rose,  pass¬ 
ing  slowly  over  the  Prussian  lines.  Again  the  balloon  de¬ 
scended  near  Creil,  and  espying  a  force  of  Prussians,  the  voy¬ 
agers  throw  out  shawls  and  travelling-bags.  They  arise  slowly 
again  —  a  shot  just  grazing  the  hair  of  Gambetta.  Striking 
among  the  trees  at  Mont  Dizier,  the  balloon  becomes  torn, 
and  falls  to  the  ground,  when  the  diplomatic  party  take  a  con¬ 
veyance  for  Amiens,  while  a  party  of  uhlans  pursue  them  from 
the  other  side  of  the  wood. 

Sunday,  October  gth. — Gambetta  arrives  at  Tours  in  a 
thunderstorm,  and  is  warmly  received  at  the  station.  Garibaldi 
arrives,  and  is  received  by  Cremieux.  The  Francs-tireurs  re¬ 
quest  M.  Glais-Bizon  to  embrace  Garibaldi  for  the  regiment. 


VON  ROON  ON  THE  SIEGE  OF  PARIS. 

The’  impatience  of  the  German  people  at  home,  on  account 
of  delay  in  the  fall  of  Paris,  has  led  War  Minister  Von  Roon 
to  dictate  the  following  semi-official  note,  published  in  the 
Berlin  Staatsanzeiger : 


SUNDAY. ,  OCTOBER  9. 


305 


Experience  has  taught  us,  that  in  a  war  with  France  no  satisfactory 
peace  can  be  obtained  unless  dictated  at  Paris.  All  our  operations  are 
necessarily  aimed  at  this  one  object.  Had  Paris  been  in  possession  of  an 
army  fit  to  undertake  its  defence,  a  long  resistance  might  have  been  offered 
in  front  of  and  between  the  various  forts  of  the  enceinte.  To  deprive  it  of 
this  resource  by  annihilating  one-half  of  the  French  troops  and  shutting  up 
the  rest,  was  the  result  of  the  first  portion  of  the  campaign. 

Having  thus  robbed  Paris  of  the  army  which  might  have  turned  its  forti¬ 
fications  to  account,  the  efficiency  of  the  defences  was  considerably  dimin¬ 
ished.  Notwithstanding,  however,  the  damage  inflicted  upon  the  enemy, 
the  moral  and  material  resources  remaining  to  him  are  of  no  contemptible 
kind,  and  having  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  an  energetic  commander , 
render  the  task  of  our  arniies  one  of  the  most  difficult  recorded  in  the 
military  history  of  the  world. 

Considered  as  an  object  of  attack,  Paris  can  be  scarcely  regarded  as  a 
fortress.  It  is  rather  a  fortified  battle-field,  with  forts  covering  every  point 
of  access.  Among  these  forts,  some  are  strong  enough  to  rank  as  citadels 
of  themselves;  while  others,  as  for  instance  Mont  Valerien  and  St.  Denis, 
are  well  known  to  exceed  the  strength  of  many  a  fortress.  Behind  the 
forts  there  is  a  continuous  rampart  nearly  six  geographical  miles  in  circum¬ 
ference.  It  would  take  no  less  than  twelve  hours  to  visit  the  forts  in  suc¬ 
cession,  the  sphere  of  their  efficiency  actually  extending  over  eighteen  hours. 

Directly  our  generals  recognized  that,  owing  to  the  unavoidable  incom¬ 
pleteness  of  the  investment  and  position  of  affairs  in  the  interior,  reduction 
by  mere  enclosure  would  not  lead  to  prompt  result,  preparations  were 
begun  to  bombard  and  regularly  besiege  the  place.  Although  in  a  city  of 
2,000,000  inhabitants  the  steady  decrease  of  provisions  and  the  progressive 
disorganization  of  society  alone  may  be  regarded  as  guaranteeing  ultimate 
surrender,  still,  as  the  inclement  season  is  drawing  near,  a  partial  bom¬ 
bardment,  accompanied  by  an  attack  upon  those  of  the  advanced  forts 
whose  possession  may  be  indispensable  in  certain  co?itingencies,  will  be  an 
effective  means  to  accelerate  the  catastrophe. 

We  must  not  omit  mentioning  that  the  portion  of  the  environs  from 
which  a  bombardment  can  be  directed,  not  alone  against  the  main  rampart 
and  several  suburbs,  but  against  the  very  heart  of  the  city,  is  the  most  hilly 
and  impracticable  of  all. 

It  is,  however,  probable  that  the  bombardment  of  the  city  will  not  be 
proceeded  with  until  the  fire  of  several  forts  has  been  silenced.  Great  as 
might  be  the  impression  made  by  a  bombardment,  it  cannot  be  our  object 
to  aim  at  a  partial  result.  To  secure  all  we  want,  and  secure  it  safely,  we 
require  the  forts.  We  may  confidently  expect  that  we  shall  not  be  long  in 
conquering  some.  The  investing  army  has  the  means  to  protect  itself  from 
rain  and  cold,  and  as  the  winter  at  Paris  is,  as  a  rule,  much  milder  than  in 
Germany,  we  may  hope  to  brave  the  rigors  of  the  season  without  any  very 
sensible  suffering.  Paris,  on  the  other  hand,  will  get  weaker  every  day  the 
siege  lasts.  Provisions  will  become  scarcer  and  scarcer,  and  the  proletariat 
is  likely  to  rise  ultimately  against  the  wealthy  —  a  contingency  hastened  on 
by  our  hindering  any  fresh  supplies  from  reaching  the  beleaguered  town. 
Our  numerous  cavalry  is  quite  competent  to  carry  this  out. 

The  French  Minister  of  the  Interior,  in  his  latest  circular  of  the  9th  inst., 
assures  his  countrymen  that  Paris  can  neither  be  taken  by  force,  nor  sur¬ 
prise,  nor  famine,  nor  rebellion.  His  self-delusion,  it  must  be  admitted,  is 


3GG 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


complete.  He  enumerates  the  very  calamities  which  will  compel  surrender, 
and  in  his  blind  confidence  draws  a  false  conclusion. 

Our  task  is  to  possess  ourselves  of  the  French  capital  with  as  little  loss 
of  time  and  life  as  possible.  We  are  sure  to  master  the  uncommonly 
difficult  problem,  but  shall  scarcely  succeed  so  very  rapidly  as  the  anxious 
expectation  of  our  countrymen  would  desire. 

Tuesday,  October  nth. — The  French  Army  of  the  Loire 
defeated  at  Artenay  (25  miles  north  of  Orleans)  by  General 
Von  der  Tann.  Von  der  Tann  pursues  the  French,  captures 
Orleans,  and  8000  prisoners.  The  Army  of  the  Loire  totally 
defeated.  The  Badeners  under  Schmeling  enter  Epinal,  on  the 
Moselle. 

BATTLE  OF  ARTENAY. 

The  first  of  a  series  of  battles  by  the  Prussian  General  Von 
der  Tann  occurred  to-day  at  Artenay,  twenty-five  miles  north 
of  Orleans.  The  German  force  consisted  of  the  First  Bava¬ 
rian  Corps,  reinforced  by  one  Prussian  division  of  infantry 
and  two  Prussian  cavalry  divisions.  For  the  past  week  the 
cavalry  division  of  Prince  Albrecht  has  been  scouring  the 
country  south  of  Paris,  towards  Orleans,  from  whom  the  Francs- 
tireurs  have  fled  in  every  instance,  being  outnumbered,  as  the 
French  have  been  in  every  engagement  since  Saarbriick.  The 
French  forces  were  immediately  under  the  command  of  General 
Lorgnell,  reinforced  by  about  10,000  disorganized  Mobiles 
and  a  new  organization  known  as  the  Partisans.  The  French 
had  about  20,000  men,  while  the  Prussians  had  about  25.000, 
General  Von  der  Tann  having  been  reinforced  by  the  twenty- 
second  division  of  the  Eleventh  Corps.  The  battle  commenced 
by  heavy  skirmishing  on  the  8th  at  Etamps,  when  the  French 
fled  towards  Artenay,  on  the  road  to  Orleans.  The  French 
had  no  artillery,  and  after  the  Prussians  opened  with  batteries 
on  the  town  on  the  10th,  they  became  demoralized,  and  fled  in  pre¬ 
cipitate  confusion.  The  Prussian  artillery  destroyed  the  rail¬ 
road  depot,  and  quite  a  number  of  citizens  were  killed  by  the 
flying  stones  from  the  barricades.  The  Prussians  came  across 
the  new  order  of  French  troops  called  Partisans  for  the  first 
time  to-day.  For  these  men  the  Prussians  have  the  most  su¬ 
preme  contempt.  These  new  levies  are  the  body-guard  of  the 
Tours  Government,  and  are  thus  described  in  the  Prussian 
official  report : 


ORLEANS,  OCTOBER  n. 


307 


“In  the  account  books  they  had  with  them  their  pay  and  other 
emoluments  from  the  Republican  authorities  were  accurately 
stated.  They  were  mostly  men  above  40,  or  youngsters  be¬ 
tween  16  and  18  ;  those  between  these  two  extremes  having 
been  previously  drafted  into  the  Mobiles.  They  were  indeed 
unable  to  defend  themselves,  being  totally  ignorant  of  every¬ 
thing  military,  and,  moreover,  armed  with  Minie  rifles,  which 
cannot  compete  with  modern  weapons.  In  reply  to  our  ques¬ 
tions,  they  said  they  knew  nothing  of  the  service,  and  altogether 
represented  their  situation  as  pitiable.  The  peasants  would 
not  give  them  anything  to  eat,  nor  even  direct  them  how  to 
find  their  way  across  the  country.  The  fear  of  the  Germans 
was  so  universal  in  those  parts,  that  everybody  shunned  inter¬ 
course  with  the  indigenous  troops.  The  costume  of  the  Parti¬ 
sans  consists  in  a  short  black  coat,  black  trousers,  gaiters,  and 
a  red  sash  round  the  waist.  They  wear  hats  with  broadbrims, 
those  of  the  captains  being  about  four  times  as  large  as  those 
worn  by  the  privates.  The  commander-in-chief  of  the  body 
taken  prisoners  at  Angerville  was  a  private  gentleman  from 
Nantes.  Most  of  them  had  the  words  Partisans  de  Gcrs  on 
their  hats.  The  Departement  de  Gers  being  400  miles  south  of 
Paris,  and  only  150  miles  north  of  the  Pyrenees,  their  pres¬ 
ence  in  the  Orleannois  would  seem  to  prove  that  the  central 
Departments  are  already  drained  of  most  of  the  people  that 
can  be  induced  to  join.” 

The  entire  French  army  of  the  South  seems  to  be  demoral¬ 
ized  at  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  Prussians,  and  are 
flying  disastrously  towards  Orleans. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  ORLEANS. 

KING  WILLIAM’S  DESPATCH. 

To  the  Queen  : 

Versailles,  Wednesday,  —  Thousands  of  prisoners  fell  into  our 
hands  as  the  result  of  Von  der  Tann’s  victory  near  Orleans.  The  battle 
lasted  from  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning  to  seven  in  the  evening,  and  was 
fought  on  difficult  ground.  The  capture  of  Orleans  followed.  The  losses 
of  the  French  were  heavy  ;  ours  were  small. 

Wilhelm. 

DESPATCH  FROM  THE  FRENCH  GENERAL  MOTTEROUGE. 

La  Feste  St.  Aubin,  October  12. —  Yesterday  the  enemy  continued  to 
advance  towards  Orleans.  Our  troops,  who  were  on  the  road  to  Paris,  and 
had  taken  part  the  day  before  in  the  battle  at  Artenay,  gave  way.  A 
brigade  of  the  Third  division,  who  tried  to  oppose  the  enemy’s  advance, 
being  constantly  opposed  by  forces  more  numerous,  and  a  superior  artillery, 
had  to  fall  back  on  Orleans,  disputing  the  ground  foot  by  foot.  I  was 


3GS 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


obliged,  in  order  to  check  the  enemy’s  progress,  to  go  forward  personally 
with  three  battalions  of  the  reserve,  belonging  to  the  Second  division. 
The  enemy  was  checked  for  three  hours,  but  at  last  we  were  broken  and 
overcome  by  their  shells.  After  very  sharp  fighting,  which  does  honor  to 
our  army,  I  determined  to  evacuate  Orleans,  and  to  withdraw  to  the  left 
bank  of  the  Loire.  Our  retreat,  which  was  not  molested,  was  effected 
with  coolness  and  in  good  order. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  ORLEANS. 

The  French  forces  had  fallen  back  from  Artenay  like  a  dis¬ 
organized  mob.  The  superior  artillery  of  the  Prussians  had 
pounded  the  life  out  of  Lorgnell  with  his  12,000  men,  at  long 
range,  and  the  morning  of  the  nth  found  him  in  the  forest 
behind  Cercottes,  in  front  of  Orleans.  General  Motterouge 
having  relieved  Polhes,  was  in  supreme  command  at  Orleans, 
over  an  army  of  40,000  French,  disorganized,  gunless,  am¬ 
munitionless.  Every  moment  the  terrible  Von  der  Tann,  with 
30,000  organized  Prussians,  splendidly  served  with  artillery, 
was  expected  in  front.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  Motterouge 
sent  couriers  to  Tours  pleading  for  arms,  went  himself  to  Blois, 
and  his  aides  galloped  to  every  township  and  rummaged  in  every 
military  store  where  it  was  thought  the  muzzle  of  a  field-piece 
might  be  hid.  A  trophy  gun  or  two  was  found  in  some  of  the 
out-of-the-way  places  —  an  old  Spaniard,  still  bearing  on  its 
carriage  an  inscription  to  the  effect  that  it  had  been  presented 
to  some  long  since  dead  and  forgotten  mayor,  in  commemora¬ 
tion  of  the  eternal  glories  of  France  ;  and  a  very  ugly  Russian, 
which  had  made  the  long  journey  from  Moscow  in  1812,  and 
which  rumbled  and  bumped  and  creaked  along  on  its  axles,  as 
if  it  were  anything  but  pleased  to  be  roused  from  the  slumbers 
of  age  to  kill  more  men.  Rewards  were  offered  to  any  one 
who  could  discover  the  whereabouts  of  a  field-piece.  There 
were  no  more  to  be  found;  but  the  public 'necessity  stimulated 
the  invention  of  a  patriotic  brass-finisher  of  Blois,  who  laid 
his  stock-in-trade  of  chandeliers  under  contribution,  and,  by 
dint  of  much  bellows-blowing  and  no  little  swearing,  produced 
a  tubed  something,  which  looked  like  the  wooden  guns  of 
Manassas.  It  was  an  enlarged  gas-pipe. 

With  this  atrociously  shabby  artillery,  Motterouge  decided 
to  make  a  stand  against  Von  der  Tann.  General  Reyau  was 
sent  forward  to  reinforce  Lorgnell  with  12,000  more  troops, 
while  the  General  commanding  sat  down  and  hoped  for  more 
guns  from  Tours  and  Blois.  The  French  encamped  in  front 
of  the  innumerable  Prussian  watch-fires  last  night,  and  sang 


ORLEANS ,  OCTOBER  n. 


369 

and  told  stories  to  keep  up  their  courage,  while  not  an  eye  was 
closed  in  Orleans.  As  the  Prussians  unlimbered  their  guns  this 
morning,  the  French  fell  back  on  Orleans;  but  not  until  Reyau 
had  asked  for  the  last  time  for  guns  to  fight  with.  The  French 
outnumbered  by  10,000  the  whole  Prussian  force.  But  what  of 
that  ?  Without  artillery  they  were  little  better  than  a  disciplined 
mob  without  arms.  Guns,  guns,  guns,  was  the  cry  of  the  soldiers 
in  the  ranks  and  the  tacticians  in  the  cafes.  As  each  train 
was  signalled,  they  ran  to  the  edge  of  the  platform  and  peered 
into  the  darkness,  in  the  hope  of  catching  a  sight  of  a  black 
muzzle,  and  when  instead  of  that  they  saw  but  countless  white 
faces  of  men,  their  welcome  almost  took  the  form  of  a  male¬ 
diction.  And  whenever  they  turned  away  with  this  disappoint¬ 
ment  at  their  hearts,  there  would  be  sure  to  be  some  poor  be¬ 
draggled  wretch  from  Reyau’s  quarters  at  the  door  of  the  rail¬ 
way  station,  to  ask  the  ordnance  officers  for  the  love  of  God 
to  tell  him  “if  they  had  come?” 

THE  FIGHT. 

At  7  a.m.  the  Prussians  threw  30,000  organized  men  and  a 
hail  of  balls  on  the  unfortunate  French  in  the  woods,  compelling 
the  last  Frenchman  to  fall  back  on  Orleans.  They  now  rushed 
forward  in  hot  haste,  and  seized  on  Mont  Joie.  Mont  Joie  is  a 
high  plateau  visible  from  Orleans,  and  as  Motterouge  sent  an 
orderly  to  the  station  to  inquire  if  the  guns  had  arrived  from 
Tours,  he  had  only  to  lift  his  eyes  to  this  eminence  to  see  the 
Prussians  preparing  to  give  him  an  answer  from  the  throats  of 
eighty  guns.  It  was  too  late  to  talk  of  getting  ready  now. 
There  was  nothing  for  him  to  do  but  to  evacuate  the  town  ;  for 
to  have  advanced  without  artillery  to  the  capture  of  that  height, 
would  have  been  to  rush  on  to  an  irreparable  disaster. 

BLUNDER  AGAIN. 

At  8  a.m.  the  guns  from  Tours  and  Blois  arrived,  but  too 
late.  A  whole  railroad  train  filled  with  what  might  have  saved 
Orleans  !  Eighty  Prussian  guns  in  orderly  lines  looked  down 
upon  Orleans,  and  here,  in  inextricable  confusion,  were  piles  of 
arms,  heaps  of  knapsacks,  tons  of  provisions,  cases  of  surgical 
appliances,  and  bodies  of  men.  Blois  had  roused  itself  at  the 
last  moment,  and  with  one  spasm  of  energy  had  cleared  out  its 
stores,  its  magazines,  and  its  barracks,  and  bundled  them  all 
together  —  goods,  guns,  and  men — into  the  lap  of  Orleans. 
For  all  or  any  of  these  things  to  be  of  the  slightest  use  to 
Motterouge,  they  must  be  sorted  and  rearranged,  and  that  was 
a  half-day’s  labor  for  a  competent  staff. 

1G* 


370 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


If  the  Prussians  now,  by  a  superior  chivalry,  would  give  the 
French  ten  hours  to  prepare  —  but  they  will  not.  France  is 
always  just  ten  hours  behind. 

THE  ARMY  RETREATS. 

Reyan  had  fallen  back,  and  while  General  Arago,  with  3000 
guards,  held  the  Prussians  in  check  (for  Mont  Joie  only  com¬ 
mands  the  suburbs  of  Orleans),  the  French  army  commenced 
moving  out  of  the  town.  In  about  half  an  hour  from  the  com¬ 
mencement  of  their  march,  and  when  the  advance  had  barely 
got  clear  of  the  town,  a  loud  roar  of  artillery  from  Mont  Joie 
shook  earth  and  air,  and  the  first  shower  of  an  iron  storm  that 
was  to  beat  unceasingly  for  over  eight  hours  fell  on  the  devoted 
guard  at  Banien,  in  the  suburbs  of  Orleans. 

The  retreat  was  splendidly  covered  by  Arago  with  his  faithful 
3000,  but  at  what  a  cost !  There  was  no  plan  of  battle,  but  to 
stand  behind  houses  and  walls,  and  shoot.  There  was  not  even 
organization  enough  to  surrender,  and  so  they  stood  each,  and 
fought  for  his  life  for  eight  hours. 

The  Prussians  simply  fired  until  they  judged  that  the  breaches 
in  the  living  fortress  warranted  an  assault,  and  then  they  dashed 
at  their  men  with  cavalry  and  infantry,  only  to  be  driven  back 
in  ruin  by  the  chassepot.  The  failure  of  repeated  attempts  of 
this  kind  at  length  taught  them  to  rely  exclusively  on  their  artil¬ 
lery. 

THE  ENCOUNTER  OF  DEATH. 

This  enabled  the  French  to  find  shelter  behind  the  walls  of 
Banien  and  the  Gare  des  Autrais.  The  Foreign  Legion,  com¬ 
posed  mainly  of  young  men  of  pleasure  from  Paris,  and  not  a 
few  Americans,  held  Banien  while  Autrais  was  held  by  the 
F rench  Pontificals. 

The  point  of  honor  between  the  two  corps  was  which  should 
surrender  last ;  or  to  put  it  differently,  since  each  had  the  certainty 
of  death  before  it,  which  should  raise  the  last  shout  of  defiance 
to  the  foe.  Neither  won  ;  it  was  a  dead  heat  of  glory.  Of 
1500  of  the  Foreign  Legion,  36  Came  back  to  Blois,  and  of  370 
Zouaves  but  1 7  left  the  field  alive. 

The  shelter  of  houses,  though  they  saved  their  lives  for  the 
moment,  did  but  prolong  their  agony ;  and  it  must  have  proved  a 
far  severer  test  to  their  fortitude  than  even  the  stand  in  the  open 
field,  where  death  comes  too  swiftly  to  permit  them  to  reflect  on 
its  terrors.  Those  in  the  railway  station  sought  the  shelter  of 
the  trucks  and  the  waiting  rooms ;  those  in  the  faubourg  hid 
themselves  in  the  cellars  of  the  houses,  ready  to  spring  forth 


ORLEANS,  OCTOBER  n. 


371 


the  moment  an  enemy  could  be  found  to  face  them.  They  lay 
thus,  and  perished  slowly  one  by  one.  The  Prussians  had  got 
the  range  of  the  railway  station  and  the  range  of  the  faubourg, 
and  every  half  minute  or  so  a  shell  came  crashing  though  wall 
or  roof,  and  its  debris  buried  a  man.  The  Legionaries  for  the 
most  part  bore  their  fate  with  a  calm,  despairing  fortitude  ;  the 
Pontificals  showed  less  patience,  and  ever  and  anon  some 
dust-begrimed  wretch,  mad  with  fury  and  blind  with  his  own 
blood,  dashed  forth  to  shriek  and  shake  his  fist  towards  the  pit¬ 
iless  cannon,  till  a  new  discharge  swept  him  into  eternity. 

Hours  elapsed,  and  still  the  situation  in  all  its  essential  feat¬ 
ures  remained  unchanged.  The  Army  of  the  Loire  —  for  it 
was  really  the  bulk  of  the  army,  although  there  were  divisions 
at  Bourges  and  at  Tours  —  defiled  out  of  Orleans.  The  Prus¬ 
sians  pounded  the  positions  in  front  of  them,  in  order  to  be  able 
to  push  forward  and  cut  the  retreating  force  in  half.  The  three 
thousand  held  the  positions.  No  message  came  from  their 
comrades,  and  no  answer  to  their  own  message  asking  for  rein¬ 
forcements  to  enable  them  to  make  a  dash  on  the  heights. 
Three  o’clock,  four,  five  came,  and  though  by  this  last  hour 
every  man  and  every  gun  had  passed  out  of  Orleans,  no  word 
was  brought.  The  bloody  drama  was  yet  to  linger  out  in  rep¬ 
resentation  for  two  hours  more.  At  7  o’clock  the  artillery  fire 
suddenly  ceased,  and  the  Prussians  made  their  fifth  advance  in 
force.  Not  a  shot  was  fired  against  their  heavy  masses  as  they 
deployed  in  the  open  field  ;  but  as  they  swarmed  into  Banien 
and  into  the  railway  station,  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  ghastly 
creatures  in  the  military  garb  rose  up  to  meet  them  in  the 
longed-for  embrace  of  death.  The  Prussians  captured  from 
Arthenay  to  Orleans  about  8000  stragglers. 

THE  INHABITANTS. 

The  inhabitants  were  divided.  Some  were  for  defending 
the  town,  but  a  far  greater  number  entreated  that  no  defence 
should  be  offered.  It  was  this  defence  which  caused  the  Prus¬ 
sians  to  burn  the  railroad  depot.  It  was  a  battle  in  utter  con¬ 
fusion,  without  orders,  without  officers.  During  the  onset  in 
the  faubourg,  the  peasants  seemed  beside  themselves,  some  with 
alarm,  others  with  rage.  Women  were  wringing  their  hands  as 
they  were  sent  off  to  some  safer  place.  Men  were  preparing  to 
hold  out  against  the  enemy,  or  to  disperse  in  the  fields  and  fire 
at  them  in  isolated  parties.  No  plan  was  yet  made.  The 
drum  was  beating  La  Generate,  and  bells  were  sounding. 


372 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

An  excited  multitude  was  flying  towards  Beaugency,  a  few 
miles  to  the  south  of  Orleans.  It  was  a  headless  caravan  of 
peasants,  nobility,  and  soldiers,  with  women  and  children. 
Soldiers  knew  not  where  to  go.  The  Zouaves  had  orders  to 
retreat  at  Bull  Run,  and  they  continued  it  to  New  York.  So 
the  French  Zouaves  seemed  making  a  demoralized  run  for 
Tours.  At  Meung,  a  few  miles  nearer  Orleans,  the  excitement 
was  still  greater.  Officers  of  the  Garde  Mobile  rode  by  in  con¬ 
sternation.  They  had  no  idea  where  their  commands  were. 
About’s  description  of  MacMahon’s  flight  through  Saverne  is 
a  faint  attempt  to  portray  the  sickening  scenes  in  Meung. 
Many  men  who  had  been  fighting  were  gentlemen  of  position 
in  the  neighboring  country  districts.  There  was  an  indescrib¬ 
able  terror  everywhere.  In  Tours  there  was  the  most  com¬ 
plete  ignorance.  Even  Gambetta  knew  nothing  of  the  occur¬ 
rences.  It  would  seem  that  the  Republic  must  now  make  peace, 
or  continue  to  fly  before  the  advancing  Prussians,  for,  disorgan¬ 
ized,  however  patriotic  its  votaries  may  be,  it  cannot  fight  the 
organized  legions  of  a  Monarchy.  The  Army  of  the  Loire  has 
disappointed  the  expectations  of  the  world. 

PRUSSIAN  OFFICIAL  ESTIMATE  OF  ORLEANS. 

Orleans  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  cities  in  France.  The  region  north  of 
it,  the  so-called  Beauce,  is  certainly  the  most  fertile  district  we  have  as 
yet  entered.  It  provides  Paris  with  enormous  quantities  of  excellent 
wheat,  ground  by  the  steam  and  water  mills  in  the  province.  It  also 
abounds  in  oats  (which  will  be  a  great  acquisition  for  our  cavalry),  and 
produces  grapes  and  every  variety  of  fruit  in  suck  plenty,  that,  in  addition 
to  supplying  Paris,  its  choice  articles  are  exported  to  foreign  countries. 
The  possession  of  the  Beauce  will  sensibly  diminish  the  number  of  our  pro¬ 
vision  trains  from  Germany. 

The  occupation  of  Orleans  is  also  important  from  a  strategical  point  of 
view.  Situate  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Loire,  and  being  the  point  of  junc¬ 
tion  for  the  Central  Railway,  and  the  lines  from  Nantes,  Bordeaux,  and 
Toulouse,  it  protects  our  army  from  attack  from  the  south,  and  all  but  pre¬ 
vents  our  enemies  in  the  North  holding  communications  with  the  south. 
By  blowing  up  a  single  arch  of  the  two  magnificent  bridges  over  the  Loire, 
each  of  which  has  cost  2,000,000 f.,  we  render  it  difficult  for  a  southern 
enemy  to  penetrate  north,  the  next  two  bridges  at  Jargeau  and  Beaugency 
not  being  strong  enough  for  artillery  to  pass  over.  Gien,  higher  up  the 
river,  is  already  ours,  and  the  Sologne,  which  is  the  name  of  the  country 
lower  down,  beyond  Blois,  is  so  barren  and  destitute  of  roads,  that  it  serves 
as  a  natural  safeguard  from  that  side.  Orleans  is  known  for  the  pacific 
disposition  of  its  inhabitants,  and  has  large  barracks  and  other  buildings, 
which  will  be  useful  should  the  campaign  be  prolonged. 


THURSDAY ,  OCTOBER  13. 


373 


EPINAL,  ON  THE  MOSELLE,  CAPTURED. 

General  Schmeling,  with  his  victorious  Badeners,  marches  on 
from  St.  Remy  and  captures  Epinal.  The  citizens  (15,000) 
make  a  stout  defence,  but  the  German  artillery  begins  to  de¬ 
stroy  the  town,  when  it  surrenders. 

TOURS. 

Minister  Gamebtta  issues  an  excited  proclamation  relative 
to  sorties  from  Paris  to-day. 

The  new  French  coat  of  arms  makes  its  appearance.  It 
consists  of  a  figure  of  Liberty,  with  the  legend,  “  In  the  name 
of  the  French  people.”  On  the  reverse  is  a  garland  of  mixed 
oak  and  olive,  with  a  wheat  ear  in  the  centre.  There  is  also 
the  inscription,  “  Republique  Franraise  Democratique ,  Une  et 
Indivisible.”  Around  the  periphery  are  the  words,  “  Liberte , 
Egalile,  Fraternite.” 

Thursday,  October  13th.  — The  French  guns  from  Mont 
Valcrien  destroy  the  Palace  of  St.  Cloud.  Amiens,  St.  Quen¬ 
tin,  and  Rouen,  on  the  north,  threatened  by  the  Prussian  forces 
under  Prince  Albrecht.  General  La  Motterouge,  the  French 
Commander  of  the  Loire,  is  superseded  by  General  Aurelles 
De  Palladines. 

THE  PALACE  OF  ST.  CLOUD  DESTROYED. 

St.  Cloud  falls  a  tribute  to  the  power  of  modern  artillery, 
while  its  destruction  marks  the  barbarism  of  war.  This  beauti¬ 
ful  palace,  about  five  miles  south-west  of  Paris,  has  recently 
been  the  rendezvous  of  Prussian  officers,  and  to-day  it  was 
decided  in  Paris  to  destroy  it.  The  structure  itself- is  not 
of  much  importance,  while  the  grounds  are  laid  out  in  profligate 
magnificence.  The  fountains  in  front,  with  their  thousands  of 
colossal  frogs,  lizards,  and  other  reptiles,  each  spurting  a  stream 
high  into  the  air,  are  only  equalled  by  those  of  Versailles  and 
Wilhelmshohe. 

FRENCH  ACTIVITY. 

The  terrible  artillery  fire  of  Fort  du  Mont  Valerien  has  liter¬ 
ally  swept  the  country  round  about.  For  a  circuit  of  six  kilo¬ 
metres,  the  Prussian  works  have  been  delayed,  and  their  ad¬ 
vance  lines  have  fallen  back. 

The  Chateau  of  Meudon  has  also  been  destroyed.  The 
Prussian  engineers  have  been  driven  from  Clamart,  Meudon, 


374 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  STAN  WAR. 


and  Montretout.  The  French  scouting  parties  have  advanced 
as  far  as  Villejuif  and  Vitry. 

The  Prussian  circle  around  Paris  is  therefore  expanding 
daily  instead  of  contracting,  and  the  Parisians  are  greatly 
encouraged. 

The  Prussians  have  decided  in  war  council  to  abide  the 
starvation  process,  rather  than  to  reduce  Paris  by  active  siege. 
Bismarck’s  idea  is,  that  internal  dissensions,  idleness,  and  hunger 
will  reduce  Paris  sooner  than  Krupp’s  guns.  However,  many 
guns  are  arriving,  and  the  Prussians  are  planting  them  within 
range  of  Paris. 

Friday,  October  14. — Bazaine  makes  another  sortie  from 
Metz,  capturing  193  wagon  loads  of  provisions,  and  retires  be¬ 
hind  Forts  Bellecroix  and  St.  Julien. 


Saturday,  October  15 th.  —  Bismarck  expresses  a  desire  to 
treat  for  peace.  Correspondence  is  opened  with  Lord  Gran¬ 
ville,  M.  Thiers,  and  Minister  Washburne.  The  French  con¬ 
tinue  to  fire  on  the  Prussians,  who  have  not  fired  a  gun. 
Trochu  protests  against  Paris  impatience. 

PARIS  IMPATIENCE. 

General  Trochu,  being  sadly  disturbed  with  the  impatience 
of  the  Parisians,  who  demand  an  attack  on  the  Prussians,  writes 
as  follows  to  the  Mayor  of  Paris  : 

Paris,  October  15. 

Monsieur  le  Maire  —  In  the  month  of  July  last  the  French  army,  in 
all  the  splendor  of  its  strength,  passed  through  Paris,  amidst  shouts  of  “  A 
Berlin  !  A  Berlin  !  ”  I  was  far  from  sharing  their  confidence,  and  alone, 
perhaps,  among  all  the  general  officers,  I  ventured  to  tell  the  Marshal 
Minister  of  War  that  I  perceived  in  this  noisy  manner  of  entering  upon 
a  campaign,  as  well  as  the  means  brought  into  requisition,  the  elements 
of  a  great  disaster.  The  will  which  at  this  period  /  placed  in  the  hands 
of  M.  Ducloux,  a  notary  of  Paris,  will  one  day  testify  to  the  painful  and 
too  well-grounded  presentiments  with  which  my  soul  was  filled. 

To-day,  in  the  presence  of  the  fever  which  has  rightly  taken  possession  of 
the  public  mind,  I  meet  with  difficulties  which  present  a  most  striking  anal¬ 
ogy  with  those  that  showed  themselves  in  the  past.  I  now  declare  that  / 
will:  not  cede  to  the  pressure  of  the  public  impatience.  Animating  myself 
with  the  sense  of  the  duties  which  are  common  to  us  all,  and  of  the  respon¬ 
sibilities  that  no  one  shares  with  me,  I  shall  pursue  to  the  end  the  plan 


SOLS  SONS,  OCTOBER  1 6. 


375 


which  I  have  traced  out  without  revealing  it,  and  I  only  demand  of  the 
population  of  Paris,  in  exchange  for  my  efforts,  the  continuance  of  that 
confidence  with  which  it  has  hitherto  honored  me. 

Receive,  Monsieur  le  Maire,  the  assurance  of  my  high  consideration. 

General  Trochu. 

Sunday,  October  16.  —  Soissons,  fifty  miles  north-east  of 
Paris,  surrenders,  with  99  officers,  4633  men,  and  132  guns, 
to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg-Schwerin. 

SOISSONS. 

Soissons  is  another  link  in  the  chain  of  connection  between 
the  Prussian  forces  in  front  of  Paris  and  their  home  base  of 
supplies.  Laon,  Toul,  and  Soissons  are  of  inestimable  value 
to  the  Prussians.  There  only  remain  now  between  Paris  and 
Berlin,  Metz  and  Verdun.  When  these  shall  fall,  King  William 
will  be  master  of  the  two  great  railroads  which  connect  Berlin 
with  Paris. 

THE  SIEGE. 

The  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  commenced  the  bombard¬ 
ment  of  Soissons  on  the  12th.  His  force  consisted  of  the  Wiir- 
temberg  foot,  the  Pomeranian,  Hessian,  and  Magdeburg 
artillery,  the  Schleswig  engineers,  eight  battalions  of  landwehr, 
and  the  Halberstadt  horse.  The  investment  lasted  three  weeks, 
and  the  bombardment  four  days. 

Few  houses  were  damaged,  and  the  German  army  occupied 
the  town  without  disorder.  Beside  the  99  officers  and  4633  men, 
captured,  the  Germans  took  132  guns,  70,000  bombs,  150  tons 
of  ammunition,  and  a  military  chest  containing  92,000  francs. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  SURRENDER. 

The  effect  of  the  surrender  of  these  military  keys  of  France 
begins  to  drive  the  French  people  to  desperation.  They  feel  as 
did  the  Confederates  when  General  Sherman  was  marching 
his  army  victoriously  to  the  sea.  The  base  of  an  army  is  not 
Paris  or  Washington  or  Berlin  —  it  is  the  cornfield,  the  vineyard, 
and  the  pastures  of  fat  cattle.  Capture  these,  and  an  enemy 
will  soon  starve.  When  Sherman  once  got  into  the  corn-cribs 
of  the  South,  the  Rebellion  became  a  hollow  shell.  So  it  is 
becoming  to-day  in  France.  With  a  Prussian  army  moving 
towards  Lyons  from  Strasburg,  towards  Tours  from  Orleans  and 
Paris,  towards  Rouen  on  the  north  from  Soissons,  capturing 
towns,  disorganizing  labor,  and  destroying  the  agriculture  of 


370- 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


France,  what  hope  is  there  in  a  continued  war?  There  is  n< 
organization  in  France  —  no  head.  Favre  is  a  timid  man; 
Gambetta  is  full  of  fire,  but  people  have  no  confidence  in 
him  ;  and  Trochu  is  sealed  up  in  Paris.  40,000,000  uncon¬ 
quered  Frenchmen  are  as  powerless  as  were  8,000,000  Confed¬ 
erates  with  Richmond,  Charleston,  Nashville,  and  Columbia 
captured,  and  the  head,  Jeff  Davis,  like  Napoleon,  a  captive. 
France  is  in  the  iro?i  vice  of  Prussia.  Every  battle  only 
screws  the  vice  tighter  and  makes  Bismarck  more  exacting. 

Monday,  October 17.  —  General  Napoleon  Boyer,  Bazaine’s 
chief  of  staff,  visits  Versailles  to  negotiate  the  surrender  of  Metz. 
Fie  desires  to  surrender  the  army  to  Prussia,  but  would  leave 
a  garrison  to  hold  the  fortress  for  France.  King  William  insists 
on  a  similar  capitulation  to  Sedan.  The  forces  of  the  Duke  of 
Mecldenburg-Schwerin  move  from  Soissons  towards  Paris. 


Tuesday,  October  18. — The  French  in  front  of  General  Wer- 
der,  at  Epinal,  retire  towards  Dijon  and  Lyons,  in  the  Rhone 
Department.  8000  Prussians  capture  and  nearly  destroy 
Chateaudun,  a  few  miles  north  of  Orleans,  Department  of  the 
Loire.  Bismarck  declares  a  continuation  of  the  same  policy 
and  demands  by  Prussia. 

bismarck’s  Prussian  policy. 

Bismarck  declares  to-day  that  — 

The  position  of  Prussia  has  never  changed,  from  the  hour  of  the  declaration 
of  war  by  France  to  the  present.  Compelled  unwillingly  to  draw  the  sword, 
he  declares  that  his  countrymen  would  never  sheath  it  until  Germany  was 
safe  from  future  cruel  assaults,  and  from  the  ambition  and  insolence  of  her 
unprincipled  neighbor.  He  makes  the  same  declaration  now,  confident  in 
the  justice  of  the  cause. 

Said  Bismarck:  “  We  anticipated  victory,  but  it  was  left  to  the  experi¬ 
ence  of  war  to  teach  us  what  guarantees  would  effectually  accomplish  the 
object  we  had  in  view  at  the  commencement.  The  blood,  treasure,  and 
suffering  it  cost  us  to  win  our  past  victories  convince  the  Prussian  nation 
that  they  can  hope  for  no  full  security  without  reclaiming  those  provinces 
wrenched  from  Germany  for  the  purposes  of  aggression,  lust,  and  conquest. 
Prussia  earnestly  desires  peace,  but  peace  only  which  will  give  full  security 
for  the  future.” 

“  Germany  can  stand  a  long  campaign.  We  have  large  resources  at  hand, 


ST.  QUENTIN ,  OCTOBER  21. 


377 


and  the  hardest  work  is  over.  While  we  are  anxious  for  peace,  we  have  no 
fear  for  the  future.  Continued  war  complicates  negotiations  for  peace. 
Prussia  is  willing  to  listen  to  proposals  seeking  an  end  of  the  war  from  any 
quarter  likely  to  lead  to  practical  results,  in  view  of  the  disorganized  state 
of  France,  no  matter  whether  it  comes  from  the  ex-Empire  or  the  present 
Provisional  Government ;  but  an  armistice  is  useless,  unless  made  so  as  to 
lead  to  peace.” 

Wednesday,  October  iqth. —  Large  Republican  meeting  in 
London,  in  favor  of  the  French  Republic,  and  censuring  Glad¬ 
stone  and  the  Queen. 

NEW  MILITARY  DIVISIONS  OF  FRANCE. 

The  following  new  military  divisions  have  been  formed  in 
France  : 

Division  of  the  North  —  General  Bourbaki,  commanding ;  headquarters 
at  Lille. 

Division  of  the  West  —  General  Fiereck,  commanding ;  headquarters  at 
Le  Mans. 

Division  of  the  Centre — General  Aurelles  de  Paladines,  commanding ; 
headquarters  at  Bourges. 

Division  of  the  East — General  Ernest  (Cambriels,  resigned),  command¬ 
ing  ;  headquarters  at  Besanqon. 

Friday,  October  21.  —  St.  Quentin,  sixty  miles  to  the  north¬ 
east  of  Paris,  surrenders  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg. 
Chartres,  thirty  miles  south-west  of  Paris,  surrenders.  General 
Boyer  returns  to  Metz  with  King  William’s  ultimatum,  that 
the  surrender  of  the  fortress  can  only  be  “on  the  same  terms 
as  Sedan.”  General  Boyer  desired  permission  for  Bazaine  to 
remove  the  women  and  children,  surrender  the  army,  but  hold 
the  fortress  with  a  regular  garrison. 


Saturday,  October  22.  — Besangon,  the  headquarters  of  the 
French  General  Ernest,  occupied  by  the  Prussians.  The  French 
Army  of  the  Rhone  falling  back.  Earl  Granville  opens  nego¬ 
tiations  with  the  Government  at  Tours,  Berlin,  St.  Petersburg, 
Vienna,  and  Florence,  in  the  interests  of  peace  or  an  armistice. 
A  suspension  of  hostilities  favored  by  Bismarck,  who  desires  to 


378 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


treat  on  same  terms  offered  to  Favre,  September  2  xst.  The 
armistice  is  to  allow  the  convocation  of  the  General  Assembly, 
and  the  holding  of  a  general  election. 

Sunday,  October  23.  —  The  natives  and  Jews  of  Algeria  are 
decreed  citizens  of  France.  The  Provisional  Governor  with¬ 
drawn,  and  M.  Henri  Didier  appointed  Governor-General  over 
the  Prefects.  Garibaldi  at  Dole,  between  Dijon  and  Besancon, 
at  the  head  of  5000  Spanish,  Italians,  and  French,  without 
discipline.  The  Empress  takes  up  her  abode  at  Chiselhurst, 
The  Army  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  evacuates  St. 
Quentin,  and  marches  towards  Paris. 

GARIBALDI. 

On  account  of  Garibaldi’s  anti-Catholic  prejudice,  his  presence 
at  Dole,  a  few  miles  south-east  of  Dijon,  does  not  harmonize 
French  sympathy.  The  General  has  under  him  only  about  5000 
men,  without  discipline  or  organization.  Like  Napoleon  III., 
the  once  powerful  patriot  is  in  his  chair  days.  The  “  old  fire  is 
up  in  his  eye,”  but  rheumatism  has  drawn  up  his  fingers,  and  he 
will  be  useless  in  the  field.  All  the  confidence  placed  in  him  by 
poor  fallen  France  will  depart  the  first  time  he  meets  the  orga¬ 
nized  armies  of  Prussia.  Garibaldi  has  with  him  his  son-in-law, 
Canseo,  chief  of  staff.  The  grand  old  patriot,  who  paved  the 
way  for  the  entry  of  the  Italian  troops  into  Rome  (see  20th 
September),  and  who  has  made  Northern  Italy  almost  a  unit 
against  the  Pope,  is  better  calculated  to  organize  a  people  than 
an  army.  His  last  order  is  more  like  an  address  to  the  world 
than  an  order  to  his  band  of  5000  rangers.  In  this  order,  Gar¬ 
ibaldi  reproaches  republics  for  their  failure  to  act  for  mutual  de¬ 
fence.  Switzerland,  he  says,  is  kept  down  by  the  cash  boxes  of 
her  great  bankers.  Referring  to  the  United  States  the  General 
says  :  “  President  Grant,  by  lifting  his  finger,  might  have  sent 
Prim’s  soldiers  in  Cuba  back  to  Madrid,  but  he  allows  the  mur¬ 
der  of  the  entire  population  of  Cuba,  who  are  part  of  Washing¬ 
ton’s  great  family  ;  barely  permits  the  Republic  to  fling  a  word 
of  sympathy  to  the  brave  descendants  of  Lafayette.  Thou,  who 
first  proclaimed  the  emancipation  of  races,  classical  land  of  lib¬ 
erty,  home  of  the  exile,  wilt  thou  abandon  in  the  struggle  of 


MONDAY,  OCTOBER  24. 


379 


giants  thy  sister  nation,  who  marched  and  will  again  march  at 
the  van  of  human  progress  ?  Heroic  struggle  ! ’’  he  continues  ; 
“  France  is  in  ruins,  because  her  army  of  braves  were  led  by 
the  stupidest  of  tyrants.  But  the  nation  is  here.  It  has  risen  as 
one  man,  and  will  make  the  old  autocrat  of  Prussia  repent  his 
inhuman  butchery.” 

The  order  closes  with  an  appeal  to  the  soldiers,  declaring  that 
their  courage  is  unquestionable,  but  that  they  want  coolness  and 
discipline,  so  indispensable  in  war. 

Monday,  October  24.  —  The  Spanish  candidature  of  the 
Duke  of  Aosta,  in  place  of  Prince  Leopold  of  Hohenzollern, 
approved  by  five  European  powers,  including  Prussia.  The 
French  war  loan  of  $10,000,000  taken  in  the  English  market. 
M.  Schneider  says  France  will  hold  as  sacred  all  debts  incurred 
in  saving  her  existence.  The  Empress  Eugenie  denies  Impe¬ 
rial  intrigues  at  Chiselhurst,  and  asserts  that  she  could  never 
entertain  the  idea  of  peace  based  on  a  cession  of  Alsace  and 
Lorraine  to  Prussia. 

THE  SPANISH  THRONE  — PRUSSIA’S  VINDICA¬ 
TION. 

To-day  Prussia  vindicates  herself  against  the  accusations  of 
the  Hohenzollern  intrigue  by  approving,  with  the  other  Euro¬ 
pean  powers,  the  candidature  of  the  Duke  of  Aosta  for  the 
Spanish  throne.  In  the  case  of  Prince  Leopold,  treated  of  in 
the  first  seventy  pages  of  this  volume,  Prussia  announced  strict 
non-interference.  Constant  to  this  idea,  she  now  as  quickly  and 
generously  approves  the  candidature  of  the  Duke  of  Aosta, 
while  Prince  Leopold  fights  with  King  William  before  Paris. 
This  act  of  approval  makes  the  position  of  Prussia  as  splendidly 
logical  as  Mr.  Seward  made  our  policy  of  non-interference  when 
he  applied  the  case  to  our  own  country,  and  rendered  back 
Mason  and  Slidell  to  the  flag  of  England.  “  Do  to  others  as 
ye  would  —  ”  is  the  sublime  foundation  of  sound  law,  perso¬ 
nal  and  international.  Napoleon  III.  declared  war  because 
King  William  would  not  interfere,  as  King,  vi  ct  armis,  against 
Prince  Leopold’s  candidature.  Just  as  well  might  France  de¬ 
clare  war  to-day  against  Victor  Emmanuel,  compelling  his  inter¬ 
ference  against  the  Duke  of  Aosta’s  candidature;  and  this, 


380 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


no  doubt,  she  would  do,  had  not  Sedan  broken  and  captured 
her  personal  ruler,  the  war-declaring  Caesar,  who  has  kept  Eu¬ 
rope  armed,  through  an  empty  threat  of  bloodshed,  for  eighteen 
years.  The  Duke  of  Aosta  is  elected  to  the  throne,  Novem¬ 
ber  16. 

Tuesday,  October  2$th. —  Bazaine  makes  known  to  his  of¬ 
ficers  that  Metz  is  about  to  capitulate  to  famine.  General  Cof- 
fmi&res,  commanding  the  city  and  fortress,  desires  to  cut  his  way 
through  the  Prussian  lines,  but  is  overruled.  This  afternoon, 
General  Changarnier  passes  through  the  lines  to  Prince 
Charles’s  headquarters,  south  of  Metz.  An  hour’s  conference  is 
held,  relative  to  the  surrender  of  the  fortress,  when  Changar¬ 
nier  returns  to  Metz.  The  Prussians  around  Paris  have  in 
position,  to  open  on  the  city,  225  siege  guns. 

METZ. 

Metz,  the  virgin  city,  is  about  to  surrender  to  famine.  Af¬ 
ter  General  Changarnier  returned  from  a  conference  with 
Prince  Charles  to-day,  there  was  a  second  consultation  at 
Frescati  Chateau,  three  miles  south  of  Metz.  There,  in  sol¬ 
emn  conference,  met  Changarnier,  Bazaine,  Coffini^res,  and 
Humbert,  second  in  command  of  the  fortress,  on  the  part  of 
the  French  ;  and  General  Stiehle  and  Colonel  Von  Herzaing, 
chief  of  the  German  staff,  on  the  part  of  the  Germans.  The 
main  points  of  the  capitulation  were  discussed  and  agreed  upon 
substantially  the,  same  as  at  the  capitulation  of  Sedan.  Mat¬ 
ters  are  so  far  understood  to-day,  that  the  Second  Corps  (Gene¬ 
ral  Fansecki’s)  moves  to  the  assistance  of  Paris  this  evening. 
As  yet,  the  French  troops  have  no  knowledge  of  the  intended 
surrender  of  Metz.  The  Prussian  forces  are  moved  for¬ 
ward  to  prevent  French  desertions  —  Bazaine’s  last  means  of 
prolonging  the  struggle  in  Metz.  There  is  a  defiant  air  in 
Metz  among  the  inhabitants.  Little  do  they  suspect  the  truth 
of  the  situation,  and  that,  while  the  troops  are  clamoring  to  cut 
their  way  out,  the  terms  of  to-morrow’s  surrender  are  already 
being  discussed. 

The  army  is  generally  demoralized.  The  troops  have  lost 
confidence  in  Bazaine,  and  he  has  no  longer  any  command  over 
his  men.  If  Bazaine  should  attempt  to  cut  his  way  through 


WEDNESDAY,  OCTOBER  26. 


3S1 


the  Prussian  lines  to-day,  he  would  undoubtedly  be  shot  by 
his  own  men.  This  is  his  great  fear,  —  personal  safety,  which 
impels  him  to  surrender.  This  is  the  first  time  in  the  history 
of  the  world  that  150,000  men  are  surrendered  against  their 
will.  Oh,  if  they  had  a  leader !  But  there  is  no  leader. 
Changarnier  is  old  and  useless,  a  relic  of  the  military  past ;  and 
Bazaine  is  timid,  and  too  proud  to  put  a  second  and  braver 
man  in  command.  He  has  not  shown  himself  to  his  men  for 
weeks.  The  esprit  of  150,000  Frenchmen  is  dead,  and  to-mor¬ 
row  the  virgin  city  of  Metz  will  be  virgin  no  more.  “  The  Old 
Guard  dies,  but  never  surrenders,”  was  said  of  that  terrible  re¬ 
serve  which  the  first  Napoleon  threw  upon  a  wavering  field,  but 
in  a  day,  that  proud  Imperial  Guard,  as  prisoners  to  superior 
military  genius,  will  pass  in  review  before  the  great  Captain  of 
Germany. 

Wednesday,  October  2  6th. — The  Prince  and  Princess  of 
Wales  pay  a  state  visit  to  the  Empress  at  Chiselhurst,  and  are 
received  by  the  Prince  Imperial  in  Camden  House. 

Metz  continues  to  negotiate  for  a  surrender.  Bazaine  asks 
Prince  Charles  for  another  conference.  General  Stiehle,  Chief 
of  Staff  of  the  Second  army,  and  General  Wartensleben,  Chief  of 
Staff  of  the  First  Army,  have  a  three  hours’  interview  at  Frascati 
with  the  French  Commissioners.  Bazaine  desires  that  his  offi¬ 
cers  shall  be  allowed  to  retain  their  side-anus.  Prince  Charles 
telegraphs  the  King  at  Versailles  for  instmctions. 

THE  LAST  OF  A  GREAT  ARMY. 

To-morrow  will  be  surrendered  the  last  man  and  the  last 
officer,  with  the  exception  of  Bourbaki,  of  the  proud  force  which 
made  up  the  Imperial  army  of  France.  The  right ,  MacMahon, 
the  left,  L’Admirault,  and  the  centre,  Bazaine,  besides  sub¬ 
commanders  Canrobert,  De  Caen,  Frossard,  and  Lebceuf,  the 
Imperial  ex-secretary  of  war — all  are  now  prisoners  to  King 
William.  The  list  of  fortresses  now  surrendered  to  Pnissia  com¬ 
prises  Herny,  Toul,  Laon,  Soissons,  St.  Quentin,  Strasburg,  and 
Metz.  Only  the  little  fortresses  of  Thionville,  Neuf  Brisach 
(south  of  Strasburg),  Verdun,  and  Bitche,  remain.  These  will 
soon  fall,  and  with  the  last  regular  soldier  captured,  the  last 
marshal  paroled,  and  the  last  fortress  in  the  hands  of  Prussia^ 


3S2 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


the  picture  for  France  is  dark  indeed.  Metz  is  the  Gibraltar 
of  France,  —  her  fancied  impregnable  centre.  Her  military 
heart  is  in  the  Prussian  vice.  France  wants  a  leader  shrewd 
enough  to  see  and  bold  enough  to  act  on  the  situation.  Per¬ 
haps  M.  Thiers,  in  his  projected  conference  with  Bismarck  at 
Versailles,  will  be  that  man.  It  is  idle  for  France  longer  to 
co  pe  with  the  overpowering  military  force  of  Prussia. 

Thursday,  October  27. —  The  surrender  of  Metz  completed. 
173,000  men,  6000  officers,  66  generals,  and  3  marshals  of 
France,  lay  down  their  arms.  King  William  telegraphs  the 
surrender  to  the  Queen. 

METZ  SURRENDERS.' 

To  the  Queen:  Versailles,  Oct.  27. 

Bazaine’s  army  and  the  fortress  of  Metz  have  capitulated.  There  are 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  prisoners,  of  whom  twenty  thousand  are  sick 
and  wounded.  This  is  a  most  important  event.  God  be  praised  ! 

William. 

PARTICULARS  OF  THE  SURRENDER. 

Prince  Charles  received  a  telegram  from  the  King  this  morn¬ 
ing,  granting  the  French  officers  permission  to  retain  their 
side-arms.  This  was  the  only  obstacle  which  prevented  the 
signing  of  the  articles  of  surrender  last  evening. 

At  eight  o’clock,  Bazaine’s  Chief  of  Staff,  General  Jarras, 
and  Major  Samuel,  on  the  part  of  General  Coffinitffes,  com¬ 
manding  the  fortress,  met  General  Stiehle  and  General  War- 
tensleben,  Chiefs  of  Staff  of  the  First  and  Second  German 
armies,  at  Frascati  (see  map,  p.  156),  within  the  Prussian  lines, 
and  completed  the  act  of  surrender. 

The  following  paper  was  now  agreed  to,  and  signed  by  Col¬ 
onel  Jarras  and  General  Stiehle  : 

First —  The  French  army  under  General  Bazaine,  including  3  marshals 
of  France,  66  generals,  6000  officers,  and  173,000  men,  are  declared  prison¬ 
ers  of  war. 

Second —  The  fortress  and  town  of  Metz,  with  the  forts  and  munitions 
of  war,  provisions  and  everything  else  found  in  the  place,  which  may  be 
the  property  of  the  State  of  France,  shall  be  given  up  to  the  German  army, 
and  delivered  in  the  condition  in  which  it  was  found  the  first  day  of  the  ca¬ 
pitulation. 

Third —  On  the  Saturday  next  following,  at  midday,  the  forts  at  St. 
Quentin,  Plappeville,  and  the  remaining  forts  and  port  Moselle,  shall  be 
surrendered  to  the  German  troops. 

Fourth — -At  the  hour  of  ten  o’clock,  the  same  day,  Prussian  officers  of 
the  artillery  and  engineer  corps  shall  be  admitted  into  all  the  forts  in  order 
that  they  may  take  possession  of  and  occupy  the  magazines,  and  draw  all 
charges  from  the  mines. 


METZ  SURRENDERS ,  OCTOBER  27. 


383 


Fifth  —  The  French  arms,  all  army  material,  flags,  eagles,  cannons,  mi¬ 
trailleuses,  fourgon  and  ammunition  and  artillery  equipages  left  at  Metz  and 
in  the  forts  under  military  commission  of  France,  to  be  given  immediately 
to  the  German  commissioners. 

Sixth —  The  French  troops  in  Metz,  after  surrender,  to  be  conducted, 
without  arms,  by  regiments  or  regimental  corps,  in  military  order,  to  some 
fixed  place,  to  be  indicated  by  the  Prussians. 

Seventh  —  The  French  officers  in  command  of  the  men,  after  their  arrival 
at  this  fixed  place,  to  be  at  liberty  to  return  to  the  intrenched  camps  or  to 
Metz,  on  giving  their  word  of  honor  not  to  quit  either  place  without  an  or¬ 
der  of  permission  from  the  German  commandant. 

Eighth  —  The  troops  after  surrender  to  be  marched  to  bivouac,  the 
French  soldiers  retaining  their  personal  effects,  cooking  utensils,  and  so 
forth. 

Ninth  —  All  the  French  generals  and  other  officers,  with  military  em¬ 
ployes  who  rank  as  commissioned  officers,  and  who  engage  by  written 
promise  not  to  bear  arms  against  Germany,  and  not  to  agitate  against 
Prussian  interests  during  the  war,  not  to  be  made  prisoners  of  war,  but  be 
permitted  to  retain  their  arms  and  to  have  their  personal  property  in  recog¬ 
nition  of  the  courage  displayed  by  them  during  the  campaign. 

Tenth  —  The  French  military  surgeons  will  remain  in  the  fortress  to  take 
charge  of  the  wounded.  They  will  be  treated  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
Convention  of  Geneva,  and  considered  as  being  attached  to  the  hospitals  of 
Prussia. 

Eleventh  — All  questions  of  detail,  such  as  concern  the  commercial  rights 
of  the  town  of  Metz  and  the  interests  and  rights  of  civilians  and  non-com¬ 
batants,  will  be  considered  and  treated  subsequently  in  an  appendix  to  the 
military  paper  of  capitulation. 

Twelfth—  Any  clause,  sentence,  or  word  used  in  the  present  draft  of 
arrangement,  the  reading  of  which  may  present  a  doubt  as  to  its  exact 
meaning,  shall  be  interpreted  hereafter  in  favor  of  the  people  of  France. 

THE  SCENE  IN  THE  CITY. 

This  completed  the  tragedy  of  Metz  without  the  citadel. 
Within,  a  different  scene  was  being  enacted.  The  actual  sur¬ 
render  of  the  troops  did  not  take  place  until  Saturday,  as  per 
the  third  article ;  but  in  the  meantime,  the  terms  of  capitula¬ 
tion  were  discussed  in  Metz. 

When  the  particulars  of  the  capitulation  became  known,  the 
people  were  furious.  The  National  Guards  refused  to  lay 
down  their  arms.  On  the  afternoon  of  the  28th  inst.,  a  cap¬ 
tain  of  dragoons  appeared  at  the  head  of  a  body  of  troops,  who 
swore  that  they  would  sooner  die  than  yield.  Albert  Collignon, 
the  editor  of  an  ultra-Democratic  daily  newspaper,  the  Journal 
de  Metz,  rode  about  on  a  white  horse,  firing  a  pistol,  and  exhort¬ 
ing  them  to  sally  forth  and  seek  victory  or  death,  to  escape  im¬ 
pending  shame.  He  was  followed  by  a  lady  singing  the  Mar¬ 
seillaise.  This  produced  terrible  excitement.  The  doors  of 
the  Cathedral  were  burst  open,  the  tocsin  was  sounded,  and 
the  bell  rung  nearly  all  night. 


384 


THE  FRAN  CO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


When  General  Coffini^res  appeared  to  pacify  the  people, 
three  pistol  shots  were  fired  at  him.  Finally,  by  the  aid  of  two 
regiments  of  the  line,  he  quietly  dispersed  the  mob  ;  but  all 
night  the  sounds  of  grief,  indignation  and  terror  continued. 
Respectable  women  ran  about  the  streets,  tearing  their  hair  and 
flinging  their  bonnets  and  laces  under  their  feet,  seeking  their 
friends,  and  asking  wildly,  “  What  will  become  of  our  children  ?” 
Soldiers,  drunk  and  sober,  tumbled  hither  and  thither  in  irregu¬ 
lar  groups,  with  their  caps  off  and  their  sabres  broken,  sobbing 
and  weeping  like  children,  and  crying,  11  Oh  pauvre  Metz  /  Oh 
via  pauvre  Metz  !  Tout  est  perdu  !  ” 

The  people  were  totally  ignorant  of  anything  which  had  tran¬ 
spired  in  France  since  the  18th  of  August.  The  City  Council 
detained  an  English  gentleman,  one  of  the  first  strangers  to  en¬ 
ter  Metz,  for  two  hours,  to  ask  all  manner  of  questions  —  some 
childish  in  their  uncertainty  and  terror  —  as  to  what  the  Prus¬ 
sians  would  do,  how  they  would  do  it,  and  how  they  must  be 
met.  It  was  as  if  they  had  never  seen  or  known  a  Prussian. 
They  demanded  to  know  whether  their  already  destitute  larders 
must  still  supply  the  troops,  and  whether  they  would  be  perso¬ 
nally  maltreated  if  unable  to  furnish  what  was  required.  They 
were  relieved  by  hearing  that  a  thousand  wagons  were  ready  at 
Courcelles  to  bring  provisions  hither,  and  also  that  there  were 
funds  in  London  ready  to  be  applied  to  their  relief,  in  response 
to  the  appeal  of  the  Mayors  of  Briey  and  other  communes,  pub¬ 
lished  in  English  and  American  journals,  saying,  “Help  is 
needed  quickly.” 

IMPERIAL  INTRIGUES. 

General  Von  Zastrow,  who  held  the  woods  of  Vaux  on  the 
morning  after  Gravelotte,  expresses  the  decided  opinion  that 
Bazaine  could  have  avoided  being  enclosed  in  Metz.  After  he 
was  thus  enclosed,  he  could  have,  according  to  Metzian  state¬ 
ment,  made  a  sortie  and  joined  MacMahon  more  easily  by  far 
than  MacMahon  could  reach  him.  After  most  of  Bazaine’ s 
cavalry  and  artillery  horses  had  been  eaten,  this  proceeding  was 
of  course  more  difficult ;  still  his  movements  are  said  to  have 
lacked  determination,  and  in  the  last  two  sorties  (see  Oct.  7th) 
to  have  been  even  frivolous.  This  is  charged  to  a  plot  in  be¬ 
half  of  the  Regency,  by  which  this  army  was  to  try  to  remain  in 
statu  quo  until  the  conclusion  of  the  war  in  Western  France,  and 
then  was  to  become  available,  with  Prussian  consent,  for  Bona- 
partist  purposes.  Bazaine  himself  expected  in  that  case  to  be 


METZ ,  THURSDAY ,  OCTOBER  27. 


SS5 


the  Governor  of  the  Prince  Imperial,  and  the  virtual  Re¬ 
gent. 

“  Nearly  all  the  Metzians  seem  to  believe  this,”  says  a  writer 
in  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette ,  “and  their  most  influential  people 
have  avowed  such  belief.”  *  After  the  time  of  the  investment, 
Bazaine  was  never  seen  in  the  camps  except  on  extraordinary 
occasions  ;  never  at  all  in  the  hospitals,  which  are  in  part 
constructed  in  numerous  railway  box-wagons,  on  the  Place 
Royale.  Equally  seldom  was  he  seen  in  the  city.  The  civil 
authorities  had  to  find  him  at  Bon  St.  Martin  ;  he  did  not  ap¬ 
pear  at  the  City  Hall  once.  He  rarely,  if  ever,  said  a  word 
to  encourage  his  troops.  Canrobert  sometimes  cheered  their 
hardships  a  little,  and  then  they  would  cry  “  Vive  Canrobert  / 
A  has  Bazaine 

Towards  the  last,  Bazaine  dared  not  show  himself  to  his  own 
men  for  fear  of  assassination,  and  the  terribly  relaxed  discipline 
is  assuredly  the  cause  of  the  hasty  capitulation,  when  a  week’s 
rations  for  ail  were  on  hand.  On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  five 
soldiers  lay  dead  of  starvation  at  Montigny,  while  the  staff  still 
indulged  in  luxurious  meals.  Four  days’  rations  were  given  to 
the  entire  army  that  morning  (29th),  but  for  two  days  previous 
they  had  received  none.  No  beef  nor  pork  had  been  obtain¬ 
able  at  any  price  for  a  week ;  but  on  that  morning,  before 
anything  had.  arrived  in  town ,  the  shops  had  plenty  thereof  \ 
which  goes  to  prove  the  charges  current  in  the  town,  that 
a  quantity  of  food  had  been  withheld  from  the  troops ,  that 


*  Said  Bazaine  in  conversation,  after  the  surrender,  while  a  prisoner  of 
war  in  Cassel : 

“  /  have  sworn  loyalty  to  the  Fnnperor  and  the  constittition.  The  Em¬ 
peror  is  a  prisoner ,  but  the  constitution  is  in  force  ;  and  neither  I  nor  any 
of  my  comrades  will  ever  acknowledge  any  other  government  until  we 
shall  have  previously  obtained  a  discharge  f  rom  our  oath  at  the  hands  of 
the  Emperor  himself. 

“  I  proposed  to  march  out  with  the  army,  and  to  pledge  our  honor  that  we 
would  not  fight  again  in  this  war,  but  that  we  should  be  permitted  to  con¬ 
vene  and  protect  the  French  Chambers  against  the  mob,  or,  as  Bismarck 
called  them,  the  street  loafers.  I  detest  politics.  We  only  wanted  to  do  what 
Gambetta  claims  that  he  wishes  to  do  —  that  is,  to  re-establish  legality,  by 
calling  together  the  Representative  Body. 

“ Even  had  we  not  been  forced  by  hunger,  I  should  have  opened  negotia¬ 
tions  on  the  day  when  I  learned  that  it  was  not  the  Republicans,  but  the 
mob,  who  governed  at  Paris,  Lyons,  and  Marseilles  —  on  the  day  when  L 
learned  that  the  army  was  insulted,  that  the  memory  of  men  whom  I  vene¬ 
rate  was  reviled.  But,  as  the  case  really  stood,  it  was  hunger,  and  nothing 
but  hunger,  that  compelled  my  surrender.” 

17 


386 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


through  starvation  they  might  agree  to  the  terms  of  surrender. 
It  is  not  plain  to  any  one  yet,  that  Bazaine  did  not  hasten  the 
surrender  through  deception,  and  in  obedience  to  a  known  wish 
of  the  Emperor,  understood  and  connived  at  by  the  Prussian 
authorities  at  Versailles.  A  strong  suspicion  attaches  to  the  in¬ 
tegrity  of  this  surrender.  The  real  truth  lies  buried  in  the 
hearts  of  Bazaine,  Canrobert,  and  the  Emperor.  The  interpre¬ 
tation  placed  upon  the  surrender  in  Metz,  and  I  chronicle  the 
fact  for  the  future  historian,  is  this  :  The  Republic  had  refused 
to  hold  an  election,  to  make  the  present  Republican  de  facto 
government  a  government  also  de  jure.  Bismarck  knew  he 
must  treat  with  both  a  de  jure  and  de  facto  government ; 
Napoleon  III.  must  either  become  de  facto  or  the  Republic  de 
jure.  To  make  Napoleon  III.  de  jure  was  simply  to  end  the 
war,  and  place  the  Emperor  or  the  Prince  upon  the  French 
throne.  The  surrender  of  Metz  is  the  Emperor’s  part  of 
the  bargain,  and  it  remains  to  be  seen  whether  King  William 
will  fulfil  his  portion  of  the  contract. 

CASUALTIES. 

The  French  have  lost,  since  Gravelotte,  24  generals,  2140 
officers,  and  42,339  men ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  surrender 
19,000  men  lay  sick  in  Metz.  For  three  weeks  the  meat  used 
has  been  horse-steak,  without  salt.  Sugar  was  sold  for  $6 
per  pound ;  salt,  $3 ;  a  ham,  $60 ;  one  potato,  nine  cents  ; 
and  a  little  pig,  caught  near  Gravelotte,  sold  for  $150. 

DEMORALIZATION. 

Bazaine  himself  declined  the  Prince’s  generous  proposal  to 
let  all  the  troops  lay  down  their  arms  outside  of  the  works  in 
view  of  their  conquerors,  instead  of  laying  them  down  in  the 
arsenal,  saying  that  he  could  not  guarantee  their  behavior. 
The  Imperial  Guards  alone  had  preserved  discipline  sufficiently 
to  be  trusted  to  pass  in  armed  review.  The  inhabitants  had 
never  ceased  to  hope  for  the  appearance  of  Bourbaki’s  army 
from  Lille,  or  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire,  or  of  some  other  re¬ 
lieving  force ;  but  the  troops  themselves  during  the  last  few 
weeks  could  no  longer  be  deceived,  as  they  got  better  informa¬ 
tion  through  the  German  outposts. 

Their  demoralization,  due  largely  to  hunger,  was  bitterly  and 
openly  complained  of  by  their  officers. 

THE  PRUSSIANS  OCCUPY  METZ. 

Saturday,  Oct.  29.  — According  to  the  terms  of  the  articles 
of  capitulation,  the  Prussian  officers  of  the  artillery  of  the 


METZ,  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  29. 


387 


Seventh  Corps  entered  the  fortifications  and  withdrew  the 
charges  from  the  mines. 

At  one  o’clock  the  Third  Division  (which  will  depart  towards 
the  southwest)  and  the  Fourth  Division  were  reviewed  in 
splendid  pageant  by  the  Prince,  on  the  Nancy-Metz  road, 
near  Tournebride.  Thereupon  the  (French)  Imperial  Guards 
marched  out  of  Metz,  bearing  their  arms,  which  they  subse¬ 
quently  laid  down  at  Frascati,  and  passed  in  review  before  the 
Prince.  This  honor  was  accorded  to  them  alone.  Ail  the  rest 
laid  down  their  arms  in  the  Metz  arsenals,  and  then  marched 
to  their  cantonment  outside  the  town,  to  await  transportation. 
The  Imperial  Guards  were  received  by  the  Prussian  troops  with 
respect ;  not  a  jeering  syllable  was  heard,  nor  an  improperly 
exultant  look  seen.  Previously,  at  the  Prince’s  review  of  the 
German  troops,  the  cheering  was  loud  and  long-continued. 

At  4  p.m.  General  Zastrow,  of  the  Seventh  Corps,  as  mili¬ 
tary  Governor,  took  possession  of  the  city  and  fortress  of  Metz. 

THE  CHIVALRY  OF  WAR. 

The  entire  besieging  army  voluntarily  gave  up  their  bread 
rations  yesterday  to  feed  their  French  captives.  This  deeply 
touched  the  Metzians,  and  did  much  to  relieve  their  fears.  On 
the  faces  of  all  the  German  soldiers  was  to  be  seen  a  look  of 
quiet  satisfaction  —  nothing  more.  Not  one  of  the  French 
officers  and  soldiers  who  swarmed  all  about,  even  when  intoxi¬ 
cated  —  which  was  surprisingly  unfrequent  —  wore  any  other 
expression  than  a  look  of  sadness  or  defiance,  the  latter  not 
being  common,  and  occurring  chiefly  among  the  younger  offi¬ 
cers. 

A  good  deal  of  suffering  was  experienced  by  the  soldiery  on 
account  of  the  hoarding  of  provisions,  and,  when  given  out, 
on  account  of  unequal  distribution.  For  many  days  only  four 
ounces  of  bread  were  served  to  each  man,  and  even  this  many 
thousands  failed  to  get.  Horse-flesh,  in  small  quantities,  was 
distributed,  but  the  sickly,  emaciated  condition  of  the  horses 
occasioned  much  sickness  among  the  troops. 

THE  CITIZENS  OF  METZ. 

Many  of  the  citizens  were  so  highly  incensed  at  Bazaine  for 
surrendering,  while  he  yet  had  a  stock  of  provisions  locked  up, 
that  a  conspiracy  originated  to  ignore  the  surrender,  and  seize 
the  arms  in  the  arsenals,  and  make  forcible  resistance  to  the 
entry  of  the  Prussians.  General  Deligny,  on  the  part  of  the 
French  officers,  even  desired  to  make  a  sortie  after  the  sur¬ 
render  was  known,  but  the  consummation  was  defeated  by 


338 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


the  Imperial  Guard.  To  pacify  the  citizens,  a  supplementary- 
protocol  was  published,  in  which  the  Prussians  granted 
“  the  right  to  the  French  civil  officials  to  remove  or  remain,  at  their  option, 
undisturbed  in  person  or  property.  None  of  the  inhabitants,  either  in  their 
civil  or  military  capacity,  are  to  be  interfered  with,  or  held  responsible  for 
any  previous  acts,  or  for  their  political  opinions.  The  sick  and  wounded 
are  to  have  every  care,  and  families  of  officers  or  soldiers  serving  in  the 
armies  of  France  are  not  to  be  molested  in  any  of  their  rights.  The  pub¬ 
lic  property,  with  archives,  moneys,  and  papers,  are  to  have  protection. 
The  mode  of  disposing  of  wounded  prisoners  is  also  prescribed.” 

The  municipal  authorities  seemed  to  be  more  pacified  on 
reading  the  kind  intentions  of  Prussia,  and  with  the  Prussian 
authorities  they  counselled  quiet  submission.  Fearing  a  repeti¬ 
tion  of  the  Laon  disaster,  the  city  authorities  issued  a  pacifica¬ 
tory  address  to  the  citizens,  exhorting  them  to  patience  under 
misfortunes  for  which  they  are  not  responsible,  and  promising 
that  France  and  history  will  exonerate  the  people  of  Metz 
from  any  share  in  the  ignominy  of  her  surrender. 

In  order  to  win  over  with  kindness  the  citizens  of  Alsace  and 
Lorraine,  the  German  authorities  have  given  orders  that  the 
soldiers  from  Alsace  and  Lorraine,  captured  at  Metz,  as  well 
as  those  who  may  hereafter  be  taken,  be  separated  from  the 
other  prisoners,  as  such  will  be  regarded  as  German,  and  not 
French. 

HATRED  TOWARDS  BAZAINE. 

To-day  at  4  p.  m.  (Oct.  29)  Bazaine  passed  through  Ars, 
on  his  way  to  Wilhelmshohe,  in  a  closed  carriage,  marked  with 
his  name,  escorted  by  several  officers  of  his  staff  on  horseback. 

The  women  of  the  village  had  heard  of  his  coming,  and 
awaited  him  with  cries  of  “Traitor!”  “Thief!”  “Coward!” 
“  Loafer  !  ”  “  Brigand  !  ”  “  Where  are  our  husbands  whom 

you  have  betrayed  ?  ”  “  Give  us  back  our  children,  whom  you 

have  sold  !  ”  They  attacked  the  carriage,  and  broke  the  win¬ 
dows,  and  would  have  lynched  the  Marshal  but  for  the  inter¬ 
vention  of  Prussian  gendarmes. 

The  people  now  admit  that  the  last  hope  of  France  is  ex¬ 
tinguished.  Generals  resign,  because  the  people  have  no  confi¬ 
dence  in  them ;  and  the  old  Imperial  officers,  with  occupations 
gone,  proceed  with  the  Empress  to  Wilhelmshohe,  to  intrigue 
against  the  Republic.  It  were  better  for  the  Republic  to  hold 
an  election  at  once,  become  both  de  facto  and  de  jure ,  and 
make  peace  with  the  victorious  Prussians,  even  with  the  sur¬ 
render  of  Alsace  and  Lorraine.  This  the  Emperor  will  do,  ifj 


METZ ,  SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  29. 


389 


out  of  patience,  the  King  turns  to  him ;  and  then  the  Republic 
will  be  strangled  by  a  King  and  an  Emperor. 

THE  DETAILS  OF  THE  SURRENDER. 

By  the  capitulation  of  Marshal  Bazaine,  53  eagles,  541  field- 
guns,  ammunition  for  more  than  85  batteries,  800  siege-guns, 
66  mitrailleuses,  300,000  rifles  and  sabres,  2000  military  car¬ 
riages,  a  powder-factory,  etc.,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Prus¬ 
sians. 

Including  the  garrison  surrendered,  the  army  originally  com¬ 
prised  221  battalions  of  infantry  and  162  squadrons  of  horse. 
The  original  numerical  strength  was  210,000  infantry,  21,450 
cavalry,  690  guns,  and  102  mitrailleuses. 

Besides  the  foregoing,  there  were  three  marshals  —  Bazaine, 
Canrobert,  and  Leboeuf ;  three  corps  commanders  —  Frossard, 
De  Caen,  and  L’Admirault ;  40  division  generals  ;  100  brigadier-* 
generals ;  of  sound  prisoners,  90,000  sent  to  North  Germany 
and  50,000  sent  South  ;  the  sick  and  wounded  being  distributed 
in  the  same  proportion. 

DISPOSITION  OF  THE  METZ  ARMY. 

The  First  Army,  under  Manteuffel,  including  the  First  anil 
Eighth  Corps  (Goeben),  goes  northward,  and  will  occupy 
Picardy  and  Brittany,  maintaining  connection  with  the  Fourth 
Army,  under  the  Crown  Prince  of  Saxony,  north  of  Paris,  and 
accomplishing  the  reduction  of  Verdun  Mezi6res,  Amiens,  and 
Rouen.  The  Seventh  Corps  (Zastrow)  is  to  garrison  Metz 
and  reduce  Thionville.  Prince  Charles’  Second  Army,  except 
the  Second  Corps  (Fansecki),  which  proceeds  to  Paris,  goes 
south,  establishing  connection  with  the  right  wing  of  Gen.  Wer- 
der,  moving  on  Lyons,  and  with  the  left  of  Gen.  Von  der  Tann, 
at  Orleans.  Rummer’s  landwehr  division,  which  covered  it¬ 
self  with  glory  in  repulsing  the  great  north  sortie  towards  Maxe 
and  Ladonchamps  on  the  7th  of  October,  returns  to  Germany 
with  the  prisoners. 

As  Prince  Charles  prepares  to  leave  Metz,  the  scene  of  his 
great  triumph,  he  issues  the  following  : 

Soldiers  —  I  recognize  your  bravery,  obedience,  and  calmness.  Your 
cheerfulness  and  devotion  in  the  dangers  and  difficulties  of  the  situation 
were  incalculable.  You  proceed  to  new  triumphs.  For  the  present,  fare¬ 
well  ! 

As  the  German  troops  separate  to  go  to  new  fields  of  glory, 
there  are  many  scenes  of  grief,  and  promises  of'speedy  reunions 
in  the  Fatherland. 

GENERAL  CHANGARNIER  ON  THE  SURRENDER  OF  METZ. 

“  No,  sir  !”  said  the  venerable  old  general,  in  giving  his  opinion  as  to 


390 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


the  cause  of  the  surrender,  “there  was  no  treachery.  Bazaine  did  not  sell 
himself  to  the  enemy.  He  had  no  need  of  money.  His  work  was  far  from 
being  an  act  of  treason  to  France.  Mon  Dieu  !  There  was  no  treachery  ; 
it  was  absolute  necessity.  Bazaine  was  driven  into  Metz  on  the  19th  of 
August.  He  could  have  escaped  soon  after  had  he  marched  boldly  out 
with  his  entire  army  during  the  thirteen  remaining  days  of  the  month  of 
thirty  days  to  September  1,  and  for  fifteen  days  of  October.  This  is  an 
absolute  certainty.  Any  man  possessing  a  sound  knowledge  of  military 
affairs  will  tell  you  the  same  thing.  Look  at  the  facts.  There  were  fifty- 
eight  days  elapsed  with  Bazaine  shut  up  in  the  strongest  fortress  of  France, 
where  her  150,000  of  the  bravest  and  most  experienced  soldiers  could 
merely  exist.  Once  in  the  field  with  such  an  army,  there  would  be  no  more 
Sedan.  Sedan  was  made  notorious  for  this — that  the  troops  insulted 
their  officers ;  were  insubordinate,  as  well  as  inefficient.  What  sort  of  an 
army  is  that  ?  Look,  however,  sir,  in  Metz ;  the  soldiers  remained  entirely 
obedient  to  orders.  Every  order  was  executed  on  delivery.  They  did  not 
have  in  Metz  another  army  —  an  army  of  ‘  Reds’  and  radical  republicans. 

“  But,”  continued  the  General  “  Bazaine  was  selfish.  He  wanted  to  be 
a  hero.  Imagining  that  peace  would  be  concluded,  he  thought  that  the 
world  at  large  would  say,  ‘  Bazaine  held  Metz  after  France  had  dropped 
stronghold  after  stronghold  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  ’  During  the  last 
ten  days  of  the  investment  of  Metz,  French  sorties  had  been  rendered  im¬ 
possible.  No  attack  on  the  Prussians,  no  attempt  at  escape,  could  be  made. 
Bazaine  had  really  no  artillery,  no  cavalry  mounted,  and  only,  in  fact, 
60,000  infantry.  He  could  do  nothing  against  these  three  branches  of  the 
Prussian  service  in  force  and  well  equipped. 

Bazaine  at  the  surrender  had  135,000  men.  Of  these  there  were  twenty- 
five  thousand  disabled  by  wounds,  and  ten  thousand  laid  up  with  sickness  of 
different  forms.  The  cavalry  and  artillery  were  useless  —  there  were  no 
horses  to  render  them  available.  Bazaine  was  thus  reduced  to  sixty  thous¬ 
and  infantry.  There  you  have  it,  sir.  Were  we  not  in  a  bad  state  at  the 
moment  of  the  capitulation  ?  Mon  Dieu  !  All  our  fine  horses  had  been 
eaten  up.  Our  bread  and  breadstuffs  were  gone.  We  had  no  salt. 
Horseflesh,  Monsieur,  is  not  bad  as  an  article  of  food  when  it  is  eaten  with 
bread  and  salt,  and  when  the  animal  had  been  in  good  condition  and  fat 
before  slaughter  ;  but  our  horses  in  Metz  were  not  fat,  and  we  had  neither 
bread  nor  salt.  The  taste  of  the  horse  meat  was  horrible.  Could  troops 
thus  fed  stand  well  in  any  great  battle  ?  The  world  must  have  reason,  sir. 
You  must  understand,  do  not  forget,  that  during  the  last  ten  days  of  the 
Prussian  investment,  the  soldiers  of  France  walked  in  mud  deep  enough  to 
reach  almost  to  their  knees.  The  heavy  rains  and  sheer  starvation  forced 
us  to  surrender.  But,  as  I  have  told  you,  there  were  fifty-eight  days  when 
Bazaine  could  have  taken  this  fine  army  out  and  saved  France.  How  un¬ 
happy  !  ” 

bazaine’s  sorties. 

“  Look,  in  his  sorties  !  Bazaine  never  made  a  decided,  serious  effort  to 
escape  from  Metz.  Every  sortie  was  merely  a  pretended  movement,  made 
for  appearance’  sake,  and  nothing  else. 

“  There  were,  sir,  four  officers  of  high  rank  in  Metz,  as  well  as  Bazaine. 
They  were  all  in  favor  of  a  system  of  inaction.  I  had  an  opportunity  of 
observing  all  the  military  movements.  They  were  all  shams,  every  one. 
Bazaine  and  the  generals  and  officers,  his  friends,  were  not  acting  as  soldiers. 
They  were  only  seeking  and  working  for  their  own  public  future. 


FRIDAY,  OCTOBER  28. 


SOI 


“  Bazaine’s  sorties  were  always  with  a  small  force,  and  evidently  with  no 
preconceived  idea  that  they  would  be  successful,  although  every  sortie  was 
finely  executed.  True  history  must  speak  well  of  the  French  troops  as 
fighting  above  all  examples  of  heroism,  but  small  sorties  are  useless  meas¬ 
ures.  Let  me  say  more  about  Bazaine.  He  was  not  at  the  battle  of  the 
18th  of  August.  He  was  far  from  the  field.  So  also  was  King  William, 
who  sent  a  bombastic  account  to  Queen  Augusta,  stating  he  was  on  the 
field.  I  was  there  myself,  and  I  slept  under  a  historic  tree,  one  that  might 
now  be  known  as  the  arbre  des  morts.  In  the  fight  of  the  18th  of  August 
300,000  Prussians  were  opposed  to  150,000  Frenchmen.  Let  me  tell  of 
the  surrender.  Four  outlets  were  fixed  for  the  exodus  of  the  French 
troops.  The  morning  they  defiled  out  of  Metz  I  shall  never  forget.  Old 
man  as  I  am,  and  old  soldier  too,  the  sight  I  witnessed  will  never  pass  from 
my  memory.  It  moved  me  more  than  any  event  of  my  long  life.  Soldiers 
kissed  and  embraced  their  officers.  There  was  one  universal  shout  of 
‘  Vive  la  France  /’  It  was  something  grand  to  see  100,000  men  in 
tears  for  their  country. 

“  Bazaine  ought  to  have  moved  toward  Nancy,  where  the  country  was 
rich,  and  the  fields  were  covered  with  products.” 

In  regard  to  Napoleon,  the  venerable  General  said,  “  He  is  dead."  The 
Prussians  may  put  him  back  on  the  throne,  but  Paris  and  France  will  not 
recognize  him.  The  restoration  of  the  Orleans  family  will  bring  peace  to 
France.  Orleans  in  Peace.  It  must  come.” 

COFFINIERES  ON  THE  SURRENDER. 

Gen.  Coffinieres,  the  commander  of  the  fortifications  of  Metz, 
thus  avows  his  difference  with  Bazaine  in  a  letter  to  the  Indepen¬ 
dence  Beige : 

Every  time  that  I  was  called  upon  to  give  my  advice,  I  firmly  advocated : 
That  the  place  of  Metz  ought  to  have  interests  totally  distinct  from  those 
of  the  Army  of  the  Rhine,  and  that  all  political  predilections  should  be 
avoided  in  order  only  to  think  of  the  necessities  of  the  defence.  After  long 
and  excited  discussions,  in  which  I  was  alone  in  my  opinions,  after  each 
time  having  given  in  my  resignation,  I  only  yielded  to  the  contrary 
opinion,  when  it  entirely  prevailed  in  the  council  of  war,  to  the  complete 
exhaustion  of  all  our  alimentary  resources,  and,  above  all,  to  the  formal 
order  of  the  general-in-chief.  As  to  provisions,  it  suffices  in  order  to  prove 
that  they  were  sufficient,  to  say  that  Metz,  which  ought  in  a  normal  con¬ 
dition  to  contain  only  ninety  to  one  hundred  thousand  souls,  including  the 
garrison,  was  able  to  feed  nearly  240,000  men  during  two  months  and  a 
half.  I  shall  certainly  prove  later,  by  sufficient  evidence,  that  I  fulfilled 
loyally  my  duty  as  citizen  and  soldier.  In  the  meantime  I  beg  you  to  dis¬ 
card  all  perfidious  insinuations,  and  to  insert  my  letter  in  one  of  your  ap¬ 
proaching  numbers.  Accept,  sir,  etc. 

General  Coffinieres  de  Nordeck. 

Friday,  October  28 th. — Great  joy  at  Versailles  and  conster¬ 
nation  in  Tours.  King  William  appoints  Prince  Charles  a 
Field  Marshal  of  Prussia.  Gambetta  pronounces  the  surren¬ 
der  of  Bazaine  a  crime. 


392 


THE  FRA  N  C  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


JOY  AT  VERSAILLES. 

An  overwhelming  joy  has  seized  the  armies  about  Paris. 
There  are  enthusiastic  scenes  of  congratulation  at  the  King’s 
headquarters,  while  a  carnival  of  gladness  seems  to  seize  the 
troops.  Officers  embrace,  and  the  soldiers  sing  songs  of  vic¬ 
tory.  The  King,  Von  Moltke,  and  Bismarck  do  not  conceal 
their  supreme  satisfaction,  and  express  openly  their  belief  in 
the  near  approach  of  peace.  The  King  appoints  the  Crown 
Prince  and  Prince  Charles  Marshals  of  Prussia,  and  the  tele¬ 
graph  carries  the  following  note  of  thanks  from  the  King  to 
Prince  Charles,  before  Metz  : 

Versailles,  Oct.  28 —  i.iop.m. 

To  Prince  Frederick  Charles: 

I  awaited  the  news,  which  was  received  during  the  night,  of  the  comple¬ 
tion  of  the  capitulation  of  Metz,  before  sending  you  my  heartfelt  congratu¬ 
lations  and  acknowledgments  for  your  circumspection  and  endurance  be¬ 
fore  the  victory  which  your  command  has  shown  during  the  long  and  tedious 
environment  of  Bazaine’s  army.  The  same  acknowledgment  is  due  to  the 
brave  troops  who,  by  their  intrepidity  and  the  privations  they  have  endured, 
have  set  examples  without  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  world.  The  occur¬ 
rences  before  Metz  constitute  an  imperishable  epoch  of  honor  and  glory  for 
our  army.  My  thanks  should  at  once  fie  conveyed  to  the  troops.  To 
honor  you  and  your  command  for  such  signal  services,  I  have  appointed 
you  General  Field  Marshal,  a  distinction  which  I  have  also  conferred  upon 
my  son,  the  Crown  Prince.  Wilhelm. 

The  King  to  the  Army:  Versailles,  Oct.  2?>th. 

Soldiers  of  the  Confederate  armies : 

When,  three  months  since,  we  took  the  field,  I  said  God  would  be  with 
our  just  cause.  That  this  confidence  has  been  fully  realized  —  witness 
Woerth,  Saarbriick,  Metz,  Sedan,  Beaumont,  Strasburg — -each  a  victory 
for  our  arms.  To  you  belong  the  merit  and  the  glory.  You  have  main¬ 
tained  all  the  virtues  which  especially  distinguish  soldiers.  With  Metz,  the 
last  army  of  the  enemy  is  destroyed.  I  take  this  opportunity  to  thank  you 
all,  from  the  General  to  the  soldier.  Whatever  the  future,  I  look  forward 
to  it  calmly,  because  I  know  that  with  such  soldiers  victory  cannot  fail.  I 
honor  you  all  to-day,  by  appointing  as  Field-Marshals  my  son,  the  Crown 
Prince  of  Prussia,  and  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  who  have  repeatedly  led 
you  to  victory.  William. 

CONSTERNATION  IN  TOURS. 

A  profound  impression  was  produced  at  Tours  by  the  news 
of  Bazaine’s  capitulation.  The  news  was  a  bomb-shell  in  the 
camp  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire,  demoralizing  the  troops,  and 
creating  a  feeling  of  abject  hopelessness.  To  revive  the  spirits 
of  the  people,  Gambetta,  always  sanguine  and  hopeful,  issued 
the  following  circular  : 

To  Prefects  of  Departments  :  Tours,  October  -zZth,  1870. 

I  have  received  from  all  sides  grave  reports,  the  veracity  of  which,  in 


SATURDAY,  OCTOBER  29. 


393 


spite  of  all  efforts,  I  cannot  establish  officially.  It  is  said  that  Metz  has 
capitulated.  If  so,  it  is  well  that  you  have  the  opinion  of  the  Government 
on  the  matter.  Such  an  event  could  but  be  the  result  of  a  crime,  the 
authors  of  which  should  be  outlawed.  Be  convinced  that,  whatever  may 
arise,  nothing  can  abate  our  courage  in  this  epoch  of  rascally  capitulations. 
There  exists  one  thing  which  neither  can  nor  will  capitulate,  that  is  the 
French  Republic .” 

Gambetta,  Minister  of  the  Interior. 

M.  Gambetta  issues  another  proclamation  to  stimulate  the 
forlorn  hope  of  the  French  Republic  at  Tours  and  Lyons,  but 
it  falls  almost  without  effect  upon  the  troops.  It  is  almost 
the  last  call  upon  the  patriotic,  but  demoralized  armies  of 
France  : 

Soldiers — You  have  betrayed  no  dishonor.  During  three  months,  for¬ 
tune  has  been  unfavorable  to  you,  owing  to  incapacity  and  treachery.  You 
are  now  rid  of  unworthy  chiefs.  If  you  are  prepared  under  proper  guidance 
to  wipe  away  outrage,  forward  !  You  no  longer  struggle  for  a  despot,  but 
for  a  country,  for  houses  burned,  for  families  outraged.  France  is  delivered 
up  to  the  fury  of  an  implacable  enemy.  You  have  a  sublime  mission,  requir¬ 
ing  every  sacrifice,  to  shame  the  calumniators  who  render  the  army  responsi¬ 
ble  for  infamy.  Your  chiefs  having  justly  incurred  the  stigma  of  treason  at 
Sedan  and  crime  at  Metz,  I  tell  you  to  avenge  your  honor,  which  is  that  of 
France.  Your  brothers  in  the  Army  of  the  Rhine  already  protest  against  the 
cowardly  attentat,  and  withdraw  from  the  accursed  capitulation.  It  is  for 
you  to  raise  the  standard  of  France,  soiled  by  the  last  Bonaparte  and  his  ac¬ 
complices,  and  recall  victory.  But  practice  republican  virtues  —  discipline, 
activity,  and  contempt  for  death.  Bear  in  mind  the  danger  of  the  country. 
The  time  of  treachery  and  weakness  is  past.  The  destiny  of  the  country  is 
confirmed,  you  having  restored  France  to  serenity.  Then  be  free  and 
peaceful  citizens  of  the  Republic.  Gambetta. 

THE  FEELING  IN  BERLIN. 

The  feeling  in  the  Prussian  capital  is  happy  indeed.  Every 
little  German  town  has  put  out  its  colored  light,  and  indulged 
in  a  jollification  in  honor  of  the  surrender  of  the  “Virgin  City.” 
From  Stuttgart,  the  court  city  of  Wiirtemberg,  the  author’s  sis¬ 
ter  (Mrs.  Wm.  H.  D.)  writes  of  enthusiastic  festivities.  Every 
house  is  illuminated,  and  a  speedy  peace  is  predicted.  That 
the  French  should  talk  of  continuing  the  war,  is  beyond  Prus¬ 
sian  comprehension  ;  and  the  utmost  contempt  is  felt  for  the 
helpless  party  who  would  prolong  the  struggle. 

Herr  Wachenhusen  comments  in  the  Cologne  Gazette  on  the 
impossibility  of  reasoning  with  the  Frencli  : 

They  know  that  it  is  all  up  with  them,  and  console  themselves  with  the 
belief  that  in  five  years  they  will  revenge  their  shameful  defeat ;  but  in  the 
same  breath  they  protest  that  they  are  not  conquered,  and  are  deceiving  them¬ 
selves  to  the  last  with  the  absurdest  reports  of  victory.  The  “genius  of  the 
defence  of  Strasburg”  is  invoked  by  Gambetta.  A  patriot,  but  a  fool,  ex¬ 
pects  by  barricades  to  repel  a  million  practised  soldiers,  and  by  a  mob  of 

«7* 


394 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Mobiles  and  Francs-tireurs  to  annihilate  the  enemy  in  the  provinces.  The 
townspeople  and  peasants,  with  their  excitable  temperament,  are  stirred  up 
by  babblers  and  dreamers  to  deeds  of  so-called  heroism  ;  and  while  a  hand¬ 
ful  of  the  enemy  fall  victims,  the  localities  implicated  are  punished  by  de¬ 
struction  or  contributions.  Emissaries  and  proclamations  are  sent  about 
inciting  a  guerilla  war,  directing  people  to  assume  to-day  the  Franc-tireur’s 
blouse,  to-morrow  the  peasant’s  smock,  so  that  they  are  to  blame  if  peasants 
and  Francs-tireurs  are  fusiladed.  The  barricades  and  obstructions  placed  in 
the  roads  are  not,  however,  defended;  and  behind  the  costly  railway  bridges 
and  tunnels,  which  are  shattered  to  pieces,  there  stood  not  one  man  to  pre¬ 
vent  the  passage  of  the  Moselle  by  the  enemy  on  a  bridge  of  boats.  Will 
the  well-to-do  effeminate  Paris  tradesman  or  the  artisan  display  more 
bravery  than  the  army?  Will  he  not  throw  away  his  musket  as  soon  as 
the  first  shells  fall  into  the  city,  like  the  people  of  the  large  provincial 
towns?  To  talk  of  dying  under  the  ruins  of  Paris  is  the  very  fudge  which 
has  talked  France  into  destruction. 

EXCITEMENT  IN  PARIS. 

The  news  of  the  capitulation  of  Bazaine  created  intense  ex¬ 
citement  and  dismay.  Le  Combat,  Felix  Pyat’s  newspaper, 
charged  the  Government  with  knowing  the  fact  and  withhold¬ 
ing  it  from  the  public.  The  citizens,  incensed  at  this  accusa¬ 
tion,  destroyed  all  the  copies  of  Pyat’s  journal  they  could  find, 
and  sought  to  arrest  the  editor.  The  Jourtial  Officiel  published 
an  indignant  denial,  the  Government  not  deeming  it  possible 
that  Bazaine  could  betray  his  trust. 

Sunday,  Oct.  30.  —  General  Werder  occupies  Dijon,  after 
the  capture  of  the  French  position  on  the  heights,  by  William 
of  Baden.  M.  Thiers,  the  French  ambassador,  has  his  first 
peace  interview  with  Bismarck  at  Versailles.  The  Republic 
proclaims  against  the  treachery  of  Bazaine.  Von  Moltke  re¬ 
ceives  the  title  of  Count.  England  is  distressed  at  the  Russian 
movement  of  troops  towards  Turkey. 

KING  WILLIAM  TO  THE  QUEEN. 

Versailles,  Oct.  29,  1870. 

The  defeat  of  the  two  hostile  armies  which  recently  marched  against 
us,  warrants  me  in  conferring  on  our  two  commanders,  Fritz  and  Frederick 
Charles,  the  batons  of  Field-Marshal  —  the  first  instances  of  such  appoint¬ 
ments  in  our  family  history. 

William. 

CAPTURE  OF  DIJON. 

The  Prussian  forces  under  Gen.  Werder  capture  Dijon  to¬ 
day.  The  French  forces  under  Garibaldi  and  General  Ernest 
make  a  weak  fight,  and  retire  towards  Dole.  William  of  Baden 


THIERS— BISMARCK,  OCTOBER  31. 


395 


crossed  the  heights  on  which  the  French  forces  were  posted. 
Dijon  is  a  city  of  50,000  people,  in  the  department  of  Cote 
d’Or,  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  southeast  of  Paris,  and  is 
celebrated  as  being  the  birthplace  of  Bossuet.  The  Prussians 
were  twelve  thousand  strong,  and  were  well  provided  with  ar¬ 
tillery.  They  attacked  the  city  at  nine  o’clock  in  the  forenoon 
of  Sunday,  and  the  bombardment  was  continued  till  nearly 
nightfall.  The  town  was  not  fortified,  and  the  commander  of 
the  French,  not  able  to  resist  with  his  small  force,  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  retreat. 

Monday,  Oct.  31.  —  Peace  negotiations  (commencing  31 
Oct.  and  ending  Nov.  5)  between  M.  Thiers  and  Count  Von 
Bismarck  fail.  Bismarck  will  not  allow  the  revictualling  of 
Paris.  Radical  revolution  in  Paris.  Pyat  and  Flourens  im¬ 
prison  the  members  of  the  Government,  and  seize  the  Hotel  de 
Viile. 

Napoleon  issues  a  pamphlet  on  the  conduct  of  the  war  up  to 
Sedan,  throwing  the  blame  of  disaster  upon  the  Ministry  in 
Paris. 

THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  Republic,  in  her  dire  distress,  looks  dismal  enough. 
While  M.  Thiers  is  negotiating  for  peace  at  Versailles  with 
Bismarck,  the  Tours  Government  issues  the  following  to  the 
disheartened  French  people  : 

“Liberty—  Equality  —  Fraternity. 

“Proclamation  to  the  French  People. 

“Frenchmen  :  —  Raise  your  spirits  and  resolution  to  the  fearful  height 
of  the  perils  which  have  broken  upon  the  country.  It  still  depends  on  us  to 
mount  above  misfortune  and  show  the  world  how  great  a  people  may  be 
who  are  resolved  not  to  perish,  and  whose  courage  increases  in  the  midst 
of  calamity. 

“  Metz  has  capitulated.  A  General, upon  whom  France  counted,  even  after 
Mexico,  has  just  taken  away  ( vient  d' enlever)  from  the  country  in  its  dan¬ 
ger  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  of  its  defenders.  Marshal  Bazaine  has 
betrayed  us.  He  has  made  himself  the  agent  of  the  Man  of  Sedan  and  the 
accomplice  of  the  invader  ;  and,  regardless  of  the  honor  of  the  army  of 
which  he  had  charge,  he  has  surrendered,  without  even  making  a  last  effort, 
a  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  fighting  men,  twenty  thousand  wounded, 
guns,  cannon,  colors,  and  the  strongest  citadel  of  France — Metz-Virgen  ; 
but  for  him,  to  the  contamination  of  the  foreigner,  such  a  crime  is  above 
even  the  punishments  of  Justice  ! 

“  In  the  disasters  of  the  country  in  less  than  five  months  250,000  men 


39C 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSI AN  IVAR. 


have  been  delivered  over  to  the  enemy,  a  sinister  sequel  to  the  military  coup 
de  main  of  December. 

“  It  is  time  for  us  to  reassert  ourselves,  citizens,  and  under  the  aegis  of  the 
Republic,  which  we  have  determined  not  to  allow  to  capitulate,  within  or 
without,  to  seek,  in  the  extremity  even  of  our  misfortune,  the  renovation  of 
our  political  and  social  morality  and  manhood. 

“  However  tried  by  disaster,  let  us  be  found  neither  panic-stricken  nor 
hesitating.  No  illusion  is  now  left.  Let  us  no  longer  languish  or  grow  weak, 
and  let  us  prove  by  our  acts  that  we  can  ourselves  maintain  honor,  independ¬ 
ence,  integrity  —  all  that  makes  a  country  proud  and  free. 

‘  ‘  Long  live  the  Republic,  one  and  indivisible  ! 

“  Cremieux. 

“  Glais-Bazoin. 

“  Gambetta.” 

RADICAL  REVOLUTION  IN  PARIS. 

To-day,  Oct.  31,  has  occurred  in  Paris  one  of  those  queer 
revolutions,  so  incident  to  the  French  existence.  While  M. 
Thiers  was  negotiating  an  armistice  with  Bismarck  at  Versailles, 
the  Republican  Government,  captured  by  a  wild  mob,  were 
held  prisoners  in  the  Hotel  de  Ville. 

Rumors  of  the  armistice,  the  Prussian  recapture  of  La  Bour- 
gat,  east  of  St.  Denis,  and  the  surrender  of  Metz,  had  created 
intense  agitation,  and  at  11  a.  m.  about  200  people  assembled 
in  the  Place  de  1’ Hotel  de  Ville.  The  members  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment  suspected  the  gathering  storm,  and  the  crowd  was  har¬ 
angued  by  M.  Arago  and  M.  Jules  Favre,  and  finally  by  M. 
Jules  Simon;  while  other  members,  including  Gen.  Trochu, 
Picard,  and  Ferry,  remained  in  the  Legislative  Chamber.  The 
eloquence  of  Arago  and  the  venerable  presence  of  Favre 
quieted  the  ciowd,  which  gave  signs  of  dispersing;  but  at  two 
o’clock,  Flourens,  Blanqui,  Pyat,  and  others  of  the  factious 
party,  came  at  the  head  of  their  battalions,  entered  the  Hotel 
de  Ville,  and  took  forcible  possession  of  the  Council  Chamber. 
As  soon  as  the  Radical  mob  gained  possession  of  the  Hotel  de 
Ville,  they  organized  a  committee  of  defence,  throwing  their 
bulletins  from  the  windows  to  the  excited  crowd  below.  Their 
proclamations  were  all  different,  showing  no  accord  among 
the  rioters.  Victor  Hugo,  Pyat,  Ledru  Rollin,  Flourens,  Louis 
Blanc,  Rochefort,  and  Dorian  were  among  the  persons  named 
as  directors.  The  name  of  Rochefort  was  hooted,  while  Dorian 
refused  to  have  his  name  used.  While  these  elections  were 
going  on,  Picard  and  Ferry  managed  to  escape  from  the  Coun¬ 
cil  Chamber,  and  flew  to  sound  the  alarm,  and  organize  the 
Gardes  Mobiles  and  the  Gardes  Nationales,  for  the  relief  of 
their  imprisoned  colleagues.  During  the  mock  legislation  of 


PARIS  MOBS,  OCTOBER  31. 


397 


the  mob  headed  by  Flourens,  Gen.  Trochu,  Jules  Simon,  Jules 
Favre,  Gamier  Pages,  and  Arago  were  held  prisoners  around 
a  large  table,  and  were  momentarily  in  fear  of  being  assaulted. 

Jules  Simon  attempted  to  speak,  but  was  silenced  by  a  brutal 
wretch,  who  slapped  him  in  the  face.  Gamier  Pages  then 
rose  and  endeavored  to  speak,  but,  overcome  with  emotion,  he 
fainted  away,  fell  on  the  floor,  and  was  trampled  on  by  insur¬ 
gents,  who  tore  Gen.  Trochu’s  decorations  from  his  breast. 
The  venerable  appearance  of  M.  Gamier  Pages  would  have  im¬ 
posed  silence  upon  any  but  a  ruffian  set,  respecting  nothing. 
The  insurgents,  to  cries  of  “  Vive  la  Commune,”  “  Decheance,” 
“Down  with  Trochu,”  greeted  with  cheers  the  proclamation  of 
acts  from  Blanqui  and  Flourens,  while  M.  Pages  was  rescued, 
and  carried  to  a  window  under  the  care  of  Messrs.  Favre  and 
Simon.  Gen.  Trochu  retained  his  place  in  an  arm-chair  near 
the  table  while  all  this  indescribable  tumult  continued. 

Pyat  and  Blanqui  now  sent  emissaries  to  the  Finance  De¬ 
partment,  demanding  large  sums  of  money  to  defray  the  ex¬ 
penses  of  the  new  Government.  These  emissaries  M.  Pic¬ 
ard  arrested,  and  gained  possession  of  the  orders  as  evidence 
against  Pyat  and  Blanqui.  Rochefort  tried  to  address  the  mob 
from  without,  but  his  voice  was  drowned  by  loud  cries  of 
“Resistance  d,  ?nort,"  “No  armistice,”  and  “Vive  la  Repub- 
lique !  ” 

This  imprisonment  of  the  members  of  the  Government  last¬ 
ed  until  six  o’clock  in  the  evening,  when  M.  Jules  Ferry,  who 
had  come  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville  with  an  immense  force,  demand¬ 
ed  their  release.  A  messenger  went  up  to  Flourens  to  demand 
a  reply.  Ferry  waited  more  than  two  hours  for  the  return, 
rather  than  execute  any  violent  movement.  In  fact,  it  was 
distinctly  understood  that  at  the  sound  of  the  first  shot  at  the 
place,  Trochu,  Favre,  Simon,  Arago,  and  Pages  would  be 
instantly  murdered.  In  the  meantime,  however,  the  National 
Guard  under  Ferry  had  succeeded  in  pushing  a  mass  of  men 
up  the  stairs  and  into  the  Council  Hall.  One  of  the  officers 
of  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixth  Battalion,  a  colossal  fellow, 
made  a  sign  to  Gen.  Trochu,  edged  his  way  round  the  table, 
and  at  a  favorable  moment,  when  protected  by  his  men,  seized 
the  General  in  his  arms,  lifted  him  out  of  his  chair  backward, 
and  without  a  word  conveyed  him  down  stairs.  On  the  grand 
stairway  his  kepi  (fatigue  cap)  was  recognized,  and  a  miscreant 
took  deliberate  aim  at  the  General,  fortunately  missing  him. 


398 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


One  of  the  men  knocked  off  the  General’s  cap,  replaced  it  by 
his  own,  and  thus  saved  him  from  further  attempts. 

As  Trochu  emerged  from  the  rabble  his  staff  greeted  him, 
and  the  crowd  shouted  with  enthusiasm,  while,  bareheaded,  he 
faced  the  crowd,  and  addressed  his  rescuers  as  follows  : 

“  Citizens  —  I  thank  you  from  my  heart  for  coming  to  our 
rescue.  Like  you,  we  have  but  one  great,  controlling  desire, 
and  that  is  to  save  the  Republic  by  saving  France.  In  four 
hours  you  will  meet  in  your  local,  distinct,  and  arrondissement 
committees,  and  take  measures  to  elect  a  chief  magistrate  for 
this  great  city  of  Paris.  Let  us  be  united,  and  all  will  be  well ; 
and  let  our  rallying  cry,  now  and  hereafter,  continue  to  be 
‘  Vive  La  Fra?ice  !  ’  ” 

“  Down  with  the  Commune,”  shouted  the  people ;  and  all 
along  the  boulevards  and  in  the  Place  de  Vendome  the  death 
of  the  Flourens  Government  was  cried  with  enthusiasm.  The 
long  roll  of  the  drums  soon  drew  the  National  Guard  to  the 
Hotel  in  force,  and  the  insurgents,  finding  themselves  outwitted 
and  outnumbered,  dispersed  ;  but  it  was  not  before  three  o’clock 
in  the  morning  that  the  fate  of  the  Government  of  National 
Defence  was  decided.  Ferry  and  Picard  acted  gloriously ;  the 
latter,  a  man  of  sixty  years  of  age,  showed  all  the  fire  and 
energy  of  his  more  youthful  coadjutors. 

There  is  but  one  remark  to  make  on  this  day’s  proceedings. 
This  mob  was  in  favor  of  no  armistice.  It  was  not  a  disloyal 
mob,  but  a  mob  so  loyal,  that  they  looked  upon  such  men  as 
Favre  and  Arago  as  lukewarm.  They  were  like  the  aboli¬ 
tionists  during  our  war  — terribly  loyal,  and  as  radical  as  liberty 
itself.  Had  this  mob  been  anti-Republican,  it  would  have  sig¬ 
nified  much  ;  as  it  was,  it  was  simply  hot-headed  loyalty  run 
mad.  It  was  not  like  the  anti-war  riot  in  New  York,  which  set 
up  against  the  war  and  the  Republic  itself ;  but  rather  like  a 
brigade  of  Wendell  Phillipses,  enraged  because  McClellan  did 
not  take  Richmond,  and  because  Lincoln  delayed  the  procla¬ 
mation  of  liberty  to  the  slave. 

THE  THIERS-BISMARCK  ARMISTICE  NEGOTIA¬ 
TIONS. 

Since  the  M.  Favre  peace  negotiation  failure  on  the  21st  of 
September  (see  page  316),  the  war  has  been  vigorously  prose¬ 
cuted.  The  fall  of  Toul,  Strasburg,  and  Metz,  and  the  vigor¬ 
ous  repulse  of  every  French  sortie  from  Paris,  made  it  proper 
and  magnanimous  in  Prussia  to  treat  for  peace  with  France. 


PEACE  FAILURE,  OCTOBER  31. 


390 


The  initiatory  steps  were  taken  at  the  suggestion  of  England, 
Russia,  Italy,  and  the  other  neutral  powers.  The  Prussian 
Minister  at  Brussels,  the  Prince  de  Croy,  forwarded  despatches, 
on  the  1 8th  of  October,  to  Count  Von  Bernstorff,  the  North 
German  representative  to  England,  which  caused  the  latter  to 
signify  to  Earl  Granville  the  fact  that  Bismarck  was  not  opposed 
to  further  peace  negotiations.  Earl  Granville  at  once  proposed 
a  meeting  between  M.  Thiers  and  Bismarck,  the  Prussian  am¬ 
bassador  sending  the  French  ambassador,  through  General  Von 
der  Tann  at  Orleans,  a  safe  conduct  from  Tours  to  Versailles. 
The  Tours  Government  concurred,  and  on  the  21st  authorized 
M.  Thiers  to  undertake  peace  negotiations. 

THIERS  ARRIVES  AT  VERSAILLES. 

On  the  30th,  after  many  delays,  M.  Thiers  arrived  at  Ver¬ 
sailles,  having  made  the  trip  from  Tours  in  a  carriage  drawn  by 
Prussian  artillery  horses.  Before  treating  with  Bismarck,  M. 
Thiers  proceeded  to  Paris,  where  he  held  consultations  with 
Trochu  and  the  members  of  the  Government,  who  expressed  a 
strong  desire  for  peace. 

This  morning  (Oct.  31st),  M.  Thiers  arrived  from  Paris  to 
have  an  interview  with  Bismarck. 

The  Prussian  Chancellor  says  in  his  report  : 

“This  was  the  first  time  that  a  statesman  enjoying  such  distinction  and 
importance  as  M.  Thiers  does,  had  accepted  plenipotentiary  powers  at  the 
hands  of  the  Paris  Government.  This  fact  induced  me  to  hope  that  pro¬ 
posals  would  be  submitted  to  us  by  him  on  the  part  of  France,  the  accept¬ 
ance  of  which  would  be  possible.” 

“Bismarck  opened  the  conference,”  says  M.  Thiers,  “by 
remarking  — 

“  ‘  That  the  remains  of  the  Government  now  at  Cassel  were  the  only  one 
recognized  by  Europe.  That  he,  however,  merely  made  the  remark  to  estab¬ 
lish  the  diplomatic  situation,  having  no  intention  to  meddle  with  the  inter¬ 
nal  management  of  France.’  ” 

To  this  M.  Thiers  immediately  replied  — 

“  that  the  Government  which  precipated  France  into  the  abyss  of  a  war  so 
foolishly  resolved  upon,  had  forever  terminated  its  existence  with  its 
fatal  career  at  Sedan,  and  would  be  for  France  but  a  semblance  of  shame 
and  grief.” 

The  two  diplomats  now  examined  the  following  questions 
of  the  armistice  : 

“  France,  in  case  an  armistice  is'  agreed  upon,  is  to  be  furnished  time  for 
the  expression  of  her  will  as  to  the  government  she  should  choose  to  have ; 
entire  freedom  to  be  allowed  for  the  elections  during  the  armistice,  and  also 
for  the  organization  of  the  French  armies  ;  lastly,  the  revictualling  of  the 
besieged  places,  and  especially  of  Paris,  to  be  permitted.” 

To  the  first  of  these  questions,  there  was  an  immediate 


400 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


agreement.  The  present  de  facto  Government  of  France  was 
to  hold  an  election,  and  become  de  jure ,  so  as  to  be  able  to 
guarantee  the  execution  of  a  treaty  of  peace.  The  German 
troops  were  toremain  in  the  positions  which  they  should  occupy 
on  the  day  when  the  armistice  should  be  signed.  Even  the 
Metz  troops,  which  were  available  for  other  operations,  were 
to  remain  in  their  present  camp,  while  France  would,  by  the 
conclusion  of  an  armistice,  be  enabled  to  develop  its  resources, 
and  to  complete  the  organization  of  the  army  corps  then  form¬ 
ing,  and,  after  the  armistice,  confront  Prussia  with  organized 
troops,  which  did  not  exist  before  signing  the  armistice. 

THE  QUESTION  OF  ALSACE. 

In  regard  to  Alsace,  it  was  understood  that  the  Prussians 
would  not  insist  on  any  stipulation  which  would  call  in  question 
the  right  of  the  claim  of  France  to  the  German  departments  be¬ 
fore  the  conclusion  of  peace ,  and  that  Prussia  would  not  make 
or  hold  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  parts  responsible  for 
their  appearance  in  a  French  National  Assembly  as  the  con¬ 
stitutional  representatives  of  their  countrymen. 

THE  VICTUALLING  OF  PARIS  CAUSES  A  RUPTURE. 

Up  to  this  time  negotiations  had  gone  on  smoothly  ;  the  two 
diplomats,  formerly  warm  friends,  being  in  perfect  harmony. 
When  the  question  of  victualling  Paris  came  up,  Bismarck 
desired  to  consult  with  Moltke,  and  withdrew  from  the  inter¬ 
view.  The  next  conference  occurred  on  the  3d.  In  the  mean¬ 
time,  Bismarck  had  heard  of  the  revolution  of  the  Paris 
“Reds”  —  Gustave  Flourens,  Hugo,  Pyat,  and  others  —  and, 
satisfied  that  Paris  would  soon  fall  through  its  own  demoraliza¬ 
tion,  Bismarck  could  not  conceal  his  gratification  on  meeting 
M.  Thiers.  As  M.  Thiers  entered,  Bismarck  looked  up  from 
his  busy  desk,  and  asked  — 

“  Ah  !  M.  Thiers,  have  you  heard  the  news  ?  ” 

M.  Thiers.  —  “  No.” 

Bismarck.  ■ — -  “  Paris  is  in  revolution,  and  a  new  Government  is  pro¬ 
claimed.” 

M.  Thiers.  —  “  If  disorder  for  the  moment  has  triumphed,  the  people’s 
love  of  order  and  patriotism  will  soon  restore  quiet.” 

The  two  diplomats  now  discussed  the  question  of  revictualling  Paris, 
when  M.  Thiers  said : 

“  In  the  name  of  my  Government,  I  can  accept  no  armistice  which  does 
not  provide  for  the  reprovisioning  of  the  citizens  and  garrison  of  the  cap- 
itol.” 

Bismarck. — •  “  But  the  military  authority  of  Prussia  will  not  consent  to 
the  revictualling  of  Paris,  unless  a  military  equivalent  is  conceded  in 
return.” 

M.  Thiers.  —  “  What  do  you  mean  by  this  ?  ” 


THIERS— BISMARIC,  NOVEMBER  1-6. 


401 


Bismarck.  —  “A  fort  —  perhaps  more  than  one.” 

M.  Thiers  (excitedly). — “Paris  you  want?  Paris — our  force,  our 
hope  —  which  you  are  not  able  to  vanquish,  after  fifty  days’  siege  ?  ” 

M.  Thiers  continued,  that  he  was  not  able  to  make  any  military  offer  in 
return  for  the  re-provisioning  of  Paris. 

“  In  this  shape,”  says  Bismarck  in  his  report,  “  I  had  to  submit  the  result 
of  our  negotiations  and  conversation  to  his  Majesty  the  King  and  his  mili¬ 
tary  advisers. 

“  His  Majesty  was  justly  surprised  at  these  exorbitant  military  claims  by 
F ranee,  and  he  was  disappointed  in  his  expectations  as  to  the  probable  re¬ 
sult  of  the  negotiations  into  which  I  had  entered  with  M.  Thiers.  The  in¬ 
credible  demand  that  Prussia  should  give  up  the  fruit  of  all  the  efforts 
which  she  had  made  in  the  field  during  the  past  two  months ;  surrender  the 
many  advantages  she  had  gained,  and  thus  bring  the  situation  back  to  the 
condition  which  existed  at  the  moment  when  the  investment  of  Paris  was 
commenced,  could  only  prove  that  in  Paris  they  were  merely  looking  for  pre¬ 
texts  to  deny  the  French  nation  the  right  of  holding  the  election,  and  that 
they  were  not  willing  to  give  the  people  an  opportunity  to  carry  the  voting 
out  without  interruption.” 

To  this  M.  Thiers  replies  : 

“  Arrived  here,  we  could  go  no  farther.  I  saw  the  military  spirit  all  pow¬ 
erful  in  the  Prussian  resolution  against  the  peace  policy,  and  asked  Bis¬ 
marck  for  leave  to  see  M.  Favre  and  advise  with  him.  Bismarck  charged 
me  to  declare  that  he  would  not  interfere  with  the  elections,  even  if  there 
was  no  armistice,  and  would  let  Paris  communicate  with  Tours  on  the 
subject.  The  Government  was  informed  of  what  had  occurred,  and  they 
desired  me  to  break  off  the  negotiations  on  the  refusal  of  the  revictualling, 
and  leave  Versailles,  which  resolution  I  impartefl  to  Bismarck.” 

In  conclusion,  Bismarck  remarks  : 

“  The  course  of  the  negotiations  with  M.  Thiers  has  impressed  me  with 
the  conviction,  that  the  present  rulers  of  France  did  not,  from  the  very  be¬ 
ginning,  sincerely  wish  to  hear  the  views  of  the  French  nation  expressed 
in  a  representative  parliamentary  body,  constituted  by  a  free  and  uncon¬ 
trolled  election,  and  that  just  as  little  has  been  their  intention  to  bring 
about  an  armistice ;  but  that  they  stipulated  for  a  concession  which  they 
knew  from  the  first  to  be  unacceptable,  and  that  they  only  asked  for  these 
conditions  in  order  not  to  give  to  the  neutral  Powers,  on  whose  support 
they  count,  a  direct  refusal. 

On  the  6th,  M.  Thiers,  having  received  the  final  negative  of 
Bismarck  against  the  revictualling  of  Paris,  retired  to  the  out¬ 
posts,  to  consult  with  Jules  Favre  and  General  Trochu,  who 
by  this  time  were  frightened  out  of  all  idea  of  peace  by  the 
Paris  mob.  The  Prussian  propositions  were  rejected,  and  M. 
Thiers  returned  to  Tours  on  the  7th. 

THE  CAUSE  OF  THE  RUPTURE. 

The  cause  of  the  rupture  was  the  radical  influence  of  a  small 
minority  in  Paris,  who  rose  against  the  idea,  seized  the  Govern¬ 
ment,  and  intimidated  the  Paris  authorities  into  rejecting  an 
armistice  which  was  fraught  with  good  to  France ,  and  which 


402 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


will  stand  an  enduring  monument  to  the  magnanimity  and  chiv¬ 
alry  of  Prussia.  M.  Thiers  was  unfortunate  in  being  the  bear¬ 
er  of  the  news  of  the  sad  surrender  of  Bazaine  at  Metz  —  a 
fact  which  made  his  very  entry  into  Paris  unpopular  with  the 
ignorant  masses.  A  guard  was  even  required  for  this  grand 
old  man,  venerable  with  fifty  years,  service  for  France,  and  he 
finally  left  Paris,  protected  by  an  escort  of  cavalry.  If  Bismarck 
overreached  in  his  demand  of  Jules  Favre  on  the  21st,  he  made 
up  the  discrepancy  by  most  mild  and  conciliatory  demands 
of  M.  Thiers.  If  the  burden  of  war  was  then  left  upon  the 
shoulders  of  Prussia,  it  jiow  hangs  like  a  dead  weight  upon 
the  Republic.  The  Republic  has  rejected  an  honorable  armis¬ 
tice.  She  fears  to  go  before  the  people,  for  fear  that  in  choosing 
a  new  constituent  assembly  the  present  rulers  shall  lose  their 
power.  By  refusing  to  hold  an  election,  the  verdict  goes  to 
the  world,  that  they  chose  rather  to  stand  de  facto  upon  the  re¬ 
sult  of  a  coup  d’etat  than  upon  the  de  jure  votes  of  the  sov¬ 
ereign  people.  The  “man  of  Sedan”  fell  from  his  high  pin¬ 
nacle  for  no  less  a  crime  than  this.  Eighteen  years  of  posses¬ 
sion  crowned  by  a  gilded  plebiscite,  could  not  varnish  over  this 
first  usurpation  of  power. 

THE  EMPEROR’S  APOLOGY. 

The  captive  Emperor  issues  an  address  to  the  French 
people,  giving  the  cause  of  disasters  to  France.  Fie  says 
France  was  taken  by  surprise,  and  that  he  was  startled  by  the 
rapidity  with  which  Prussia  moved  her  troops.  On  the  14th 
of  July  the  Emperor  had  no  idea  that  Steinmetz  and  Prince 
Charles  were  in  force  around  Metz.  The  Emperor  tries  to 
shift  the  blame  of  the  declaration  of  war  upon  the  people  whom 
he  represented,  and  refers  to  his  manifesto  (given  at  length  on 
page  67),  and  to  the  misgivings  with  which  he  listened  to  the 
cry,  “  On  to  Berlin  !  ” 

He  says  his  plan  was  to  mass  150,000  men  at  Metz,  100,000  at  Stras- 
burg,  and  50,000  at  Chalons,  and  to  cross  the  Rhine  near  Haguenau  with 
a  large  force,  in  order  to  separate  Southern  Germany  from  the  Northern 
Confederation.  He  hoped  to  win  the  first  great  battle,  and  secure  the 
alliance  of  Austria  and  Italy  with  France  in  imposing  neutrality  on  Bavaria, 
Baden,  and  Wurtemberg.  The  defects  in  the  French  military  system,  and 
the  delay  in  bringing  up  men  and  material,  defeated  this  plan.  He  enu¬ 
merates  the  difficulties  encountered,  but  acquits  the  War  Office  of  blame. 

The  Germans  having  had  ample  time  to  bring  their  forces  into  the  field, 
the  French  were  outnumbered  and  put  on  the  defensive.  A  new  plan  was 
necessary,  involving  a  retreat  on  Chalons.  This  the  Regency  disapproved 
as  discouraging  to  the  public,  and  the  Emperor  was  urged  to  resume  the 


WEDNESDAY,  NOVEMBER  2. 


40.3 


offensive.  Yielding  his  convictions,  MacMahon’s  advice  and  plan  were 
adopted.  He  alludes  to  his  situation,  after  he  had  given  up  the  command 
of  the  army,  and  when  his  name  and  authority  were  ignored  at  Paris,  as 
exceedingly  painful. 

He  acquiesced  in  the  march  for  the  relief  of  Metz,  though  conscious  of 
the  danger  of  that  enterprise. 

The  pamphlet  closes  with  the  declaration  that  the  German  successes  are 
due  to  superiority  of  numbers,  improved  artillery,  rigorous  discipline,  re¬ 
spect  for  authority,  and  the  military  and  patriotic  spirit  of  the  people,  which 
absorbs  all  other  interests  and  opinions. 

It  censures  the  loose  habits  introduced  by  the  African  wars  in  which  the 
French  regular  troops  have  been  engaged,  which  it  enumerates  as  want  of 
discipline,  lack  of  cohesion,  absence  of  order,  carelessness  of  bearing,  and 
the  excess  of  luggage  carried  by  the  infantry.  The  efficiency  of  the  army 
was  weakened,  too,  by  the  excesses  of  the  opposition  in  the  Corps  Legisla- 
tif  and  the  Republican  press,  introducing  into  it  a  spirit  of  criticism  and 
insubordination. 

The  Emperor  ends  by  this  recommendation  of  Coesarism  to  France  : 

May  our  unhappy  countrymen,  now  prisoners,  profit  during  their  sojourn 
in  Prussia  by  appreciating  all  which  gives  strength  to  the  army  —  the 
powers  that  be  respected,  the  law  obeyed,  the  military  and  patriotic  spirit 
dominating  over  all  interests  and  opinions  !  To  sum  up,  the  army  always 
reflects  the  state  of  society.  When  authority  was  exercised,  France  was 
strong  and  respected,  and  the  constitution  of  the  army  presented  a  re¬ 
markable  solidity ;  but  when  excesses  of  the  tribune  and  the  press  were 
permitted,  they  enfeebled  authority  and  introduced  everywhere  a  spirit  of 
criticism  and  insubordination,  and  the  army  felt  the  effect  of  it.  God 
grant  that  the  terrible  drama  now  enacting  may  serve  as  a  lesson  for  the 
future,  and  that  our  country  may  rise  again  from  the  catastrophe  which  now 
overwhelms  her. 

Wednesday,  November  2. — -  Garibaldi’s  position  at  Dole  be¬ 
comes  untenable.  The  French  have  no  enthusiasm  for  Gari¬ 
baldi,  and  secrete  property  and  run  away  in  a  panic  at  every 
approach  of  the  Prussians.  General  Cambriels,  commanding 
the  Department  of  the  East,  ignores  Garibaldi.  Neuf-Brisach, 
south  of  Strasburg,  on  the  Rhine,  besieged.  An  insurrection 
in  Marseilles,  and  Alphonse  Gent,  Government  administrator 
of  the  city,  wounded..  George  Francis  Train  makes  radical 
Republican  speeches  in  Lyons  —  is  arrested,  and  incarcerated 
in  jail  for  one  week,  and  then  liberated  by  Gambetta. 

Friday,  November  4.  —  Provisions  become  very  scarce  in 
Paris.  The  people  eating  cats,  rats,  and  horse-flesh.  General 
D’Aurelles  de  Paladines  appointed  commander  of  the  Army  of, 


404 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


the  Loire.  The  fortress  of  Belfort,  on  the  river  Savoureuse, 
30  miles  west  of  Basle,  besieged  by  General  Treskovv  with 
40,000  Germans. 

FAMINE  IN  PARIS. 

While  the  besieging  army  outside  of  Paris  is  filled  with  joy 
at  the  steady  stream  of  victories,  until  the  German  camps  be¬ 
come  carnivals  of  song  and  festivity,  a  different  scene  is  being 
enacted  within.  Comedy  changes  to  tragedy,  and  hunger 
holds  the  largest  place  in  the  households  of  Paris.  The  saying 
of  the  terribly  earnest  Victor  Hugo,  that  “  Paris,  which  has 
amused  civilization,  will  now  astonish  the  world,”  begins  to 
prove  true.  Paris  is  heroic,  and  her  very  women  and  children 
seem  to  be  imbued  with  patriotic  fortitude.  The  whole  popu¬ 
lation  is  now  on  scant  rations. 

Beef  and  mutton  are  served  out  at  the  rate  of  50  grammes 
(or  one  ounce  and  two-thirds)  per  head.  Horse  is  sold  at  if. 
25c.,  per  lb.,  ass  and  mule  at  3f.  per  lb.,  and  at  these  prices  they 
are  in  such  demand  that  the  supply  at  the  public  markets  runs 
short.  Before  the  siege  a  good  fat  goose  brought  from  6  to  7 
francs;  at  present  the  current  price  is  from  25  francs  to  30 
francs  ;  chickens  fetch  from  14  to  15  francs  ;  a  brace  of  pigeons 
is  considered  cheap  at  12  francs;  turkey  is  a  very  scarce  arti¬ 
cle  ;  there  are  none  to  be  had  at  the  markets  —  a  few  are  to  be 
seen  in  poulterers’  shops.  Ham  is  8  francs  per  pound  ;  char¬ 
coal  has  risen  to  $100  per  ton. 

The  following  private  letter  from  a  lady  of  distinction  gives 
a  succinct  and  graphic  picture  of  daily  life  in  the  besieged 
capital : 

Paris,  Sunday,  Nov.  4,  1870. 

My  Dear - :  I  am  quite  well,  and  trust  you  all  are,  but  I  often  feel 

very  anxious.  Everything  might  happen,  and  I  not  know  it.  We  have 
had,  as  you  know,  great  riots.  I  could  not  imagine  what  all  the  drum¬ 
beating  meant  in  the  night.  We  manage  to  live  somehow.  I  made  up 
my  mind  at  last  yesterday  to  eat  horse,  and  think  I  have  got  over  my  dis¬ 
quiet  ;  I  was  really  too  hungry.  I  can’t  tell  you  how  hungry  we  often  are. 
No  butter  ( 1  gf.  a  pound),  cheese,  or  bacon  to  be  had  for  money  ;  potatoes 
getting  rare,  and  from  4k  50c.  to  8f.  a  bushel.  Lots  of  coffee,  but  no 
milk.  I  am  favored  by  the  milkman  —  only  soon  he  will  have  to  kill  his 
cows,  as  there  is  no  forage.  The  fruiterer  saved  also  a  little  oil  for  us. 

We  have  four  tins  of  beef-tea  left,  and  more  than  half  the  ham  Mr. - 

sent,  and  have  not  touched  the  two  tins  of  meat  I  bought ;  so  you  see  I  have 
saved  all  I  could.  I  fry  the  ham  slice  by  slice,  and  save  the  grease  to  eat. 
Our  rations  of  meat  for  three  days  we  always  eat  in  one  meal,  and  desire 
more.  I  was  two  hours  and  a  half  getting  my  piece  of  meat  (horse),  and 
very  much  pushed  ;  but  it  was  nothing  to  the  meat-crowd  on  Friday  — ■ 


STARVATION  IN  PARIS. 


405 


the  barrier  thrown  down  twice,  and  I  very  much  hurt.  I  screamed  awfully. 
I  don’t  remember  in  the  least  how  I  was  got  out.  The  women  are  like 
devils.  I  quite  understand  the  scenes  of  the  Revolution.  Yesterday  Mr. 

- was  there  three  hours ;  one  of  the  guards  was  nearly  killed,  and  carried 

away  on  a  stretcher.  I  don’t  think  I  can  go  again  ;  but  I  had  rather  go 
there  than  that  we  should  have  none  ;  for  with  bread  and  rice  I  am  faint 
from  morning  till  night. 

No  one  can  imagine  what  the  privation  from  meat,  grease,  and  cheese 
is,  without  they  try.  Donkey  is  from  4k  to  6f.  a  pound.  I  wanted  some, 
but  recoiled  at  the  price.  There  are  vegetables  —  very  dear.  No  pulse 
whatever.  Few  eggs,  6d.  each;  apples,  8d.  each.  I  have  bought  a  little 
stove  on  which  I  cook,  as  there  is  no  charcoal,  and  I  think  I  have  laid  in 
coal  enough  for  the  whole  winter.  The  price  keeps  going  up,  of  course, 
and  it  is  getting  rare.  There  is  very  little  gas  now  in  Paris.  Paris  looks 
puny  now,  I  can  assure  you. 

I  am  so  glad  my  little  baby  is  in  England.  I  fear  she  would  starve  in 
the  arms  of  her  mother  here. 

I  pray  God  she  is  all  right,  and  all  of  you.  I  hope  you  have  had  all  my 
other  letters.  I  am  very  well,  and  my  impression  is  that  I  am  not  a 
woman,  but  a  horse.  I  only  require  food,  and  then  I  am  as  well  as  possible. 
I  must  say  I  devoutly  hope  for  an  armistice,  but  as  yet,  I  think,  no  one 
knows.  E - has  a  beautiful  uniform,  which  I  hope  will  never  be  deterio¬ 

rated.  There  are  quantities  of  things  I  might  relate  to  you,  but  have  no 
room.  Lightest  letters  go  first.  With  love  to  all  near  you,  your  very 
loving  - 

One  of  the  cleverest  letter-writers  from  Paris  shows  a  fund  of  humor 
when  he  writes : 

I  hope  I  shan’t  utterly  horrify  you  and  henceforward  become  a  social  outlaw,  if  I  con¬ 
fess  to  having  this  morning  eaten  at  one  of  the  best  restaurants  in  Paris  —  rats.  Two 
months  ago  I  should  have  been  as  much  appalled  at  the  bare  idea  of  perpetrating  such  an 
atrocity  as,  perhaps,  any  other  civilized  Englishman.  But,  first,  one’s  principles  receive 
a  dangerous  shock  in  eating  horse ;  then  you  meet  friends,  ordinarily  decent,  respectable 
people,  who  tell  you  that  they  have  been  avowedly  eating  cat ;  and  that  you  have  yourself 
already  been  served  in  the  same  way  if  you  have  ever,  at  no  matter  what  restaurant, 
ordered  rabbit.  One’s  gastronomic  conscience  gradually  hardens,  I  suppose,  in  an  at¬ 
mosphere  of  this  kind  ;  and  so,  when  this  morning  I  met  a  friend  on  the  Boulevards  just 
about  breakfast  time,  who  asked  me  to  come  with  him  to  Hall’s,  as  he  had  there  ordered 
rats,  instead  of  at  once  running  away,  or,  perhaps,  trying  to  knock  him  down,  I  agreed  to 
go  and  just  look  at  them.  They  looked  very  good,  served  up  in  a  salmi ,  with  gravy  and 
toast,  and  my  friend  pronounced  them  ‘'excellent ;  ”  and  so  I  did  eat,  or  rather  taste,  and 
am  obliged  to  confess  that  I  should  have  no  objection  to  repeat  the  experiment  to-morrow. 
The  flesh  was  white  and  very  delicate,  like  young  rabbit,  but  with  more  flavor.  We  curi¬ 
ously  inspected  the  bill  to  see  whether  the  proprietor  of  the  restaurant  would  venture  to 
give  the  dish  its  real  name  ;  but  there  was  only  a  significant  blank  space,  and  then  if.  50c. 
On  being  remonstrated  with  for  this  unbusiness-like  method  of  procedure,  he  wanted  to 
write  Salmi  du  Gibier ,  the  word  “rat”  being  quite  impossible.  As  there  were  two  rats 
in  the  salmi ,  each  cost  about  7d.,  but  bought  wholesale  (I  am  told  that  they  are  now  ex¬ 
hibited  publicly  for  sale  in  some  shops)  and  cooked  at  home,  they  would,  perhaps,  be  cheap 
eating,  even  in  time  of  siege  ;  only,  unluckily,  the  poor  people,  who  want  them  most,  would 
be  the  last  to  consent  to  touch  them. 

It  is  a  question  of  the  belly,  nothing  more.  Our  beef  and  mutton  will  be  exhausted  in  a 
fortnight,  perhaps  sooner.  Will  Paris  feed  on  horse,  of  which  there  is  abundance?  I  be¬ 
lieve  it  will,  and  those  who,  like  myself,  vow  never  to  touch  horse,  will  live  on  vegetables. 
For  me,  I  am  Shadrach.  You  remember  the  story  of  the  three  children  who  would  not  in 
captivity  eat  the  flesh  offered  to  idols,  and  fed  on  pulse.  At  the  end  of  forty  days  they 
were  very  fat.  I  think  I  could  get  up  in  Paris  the  Shadrach,  Meshech,  and  Abednego 
Club.  When  the  siege  of  Paris  is  over  you  will  see  us  as  fat  as  pigs  on  our  diet  of  pulse, 
peas,  beans,  and  lentils. 

Talking  of  pigs,  let  me  end  this  letter  with  an  anecdote.  I  took  a  friend  to  breakfast 


403 


THE  F RAN  CO-PR  US  SI  AN  IVAR. 


with  me  yesterday  morning  at  Brabant’s.  On  the  bill  of  fare  I  found  cochon  dc  lait. 
Now,  I  have  many  weaknesses,  but  all  are  as  nothing  in  comparison  with  my  weakness 
for  sucking  pig.  1  at  once  said,  “  By  all  means,  we  shall  have  sucking  pig.”  But  I  called 
back  the  waiter  and  asked  him  if  it  was  a  real  sucking  pig?  He  said,  “  Truly.”  Then  l 
said,  “  A  little  pig?”  He  replied,  “Surely.”  Again  Isaid,  “A  young  pig?”  But  this 
question  floored  him,  and  he  hesitated.  At  last  he  confessed,  “  It  was  a  guinea-pig, — 
cochi)i  d'lride”  Now,  I  ask  you,  are  you  equal  to  guinea-pig? 

Sunday,  November  6.  —  Garibaldi  evacuates  Dole  and 
moves  to  Autun,  sixty  miles  to  the  east.  Wurtemberg, 
Baden,  and  Hesse-Darmstadt  accept  the  North-German 
constitution  and  enter  the  North-German  confederation. 
Fort  Mortimer,  one  of  the  fortifications  of  Neuf  Brisach, 
destroyed  by  Prussian  shells. 

GARIBALDI. 

For  the  last  ten  days,  Garibaldi  has  held  his  army  at  Dole,  in 
front  of  General  Werder,  with  the  Fourteenth  Prussian  Corps  at 
Dijon  and  Vesoul,  5000  men  of  the  former  and  20,000  of  the 
latter.  On  the  4th,  General  Bossak,  commanding  Garibaldi’s 
advance,  ten  miles  north  of  Dole,  fell  back,  his  troops  being 
somewhat  disorganized.  On  the  6th,  Garibaldi  received  an 
order  from  Gambetta  to  fall  back  to  Autun.  The  same  day  a 
detachment  from  General  Werder  attacked  the  French  advance 
a  few  miles  north  of  Dole,  on  the  Saone  river,  driving  them 
back.  Menotti  Garibaldi,  with  his  brigade,  joined  his  father 
the  same  day  south  of  Autun,  while  Ricciotti  joined  his  father 
on  the  north.  Garibaldi  made  this  movement  to  jeopardize 
General  Werder’s  communication  in  his  expected  move  on 
Macon  and  Lyons.  Autun  is  a  small  town  of  12,000  inhabi¬ 
tants,  at  the  foot  of  the  Vosges,  and  forming  the  western  apex 
of  a  triangle  with  Dijon  and  Macon.  It  is  a  capital  position, 
from  which  Garibaldi  intends  to  make  a  sortie,  falling  on  the 
German  flank  if  they  shall  advance  southward. 

Tuesday,  November ,  8. — Verdun  capitulates,  with  4000 
men,  two  generals,  and  100  officers. 

VERDUN. 

Verdun  is  a  first-class  fortress,  its  ordinary  war  garrison  con¬ 
sisting  of  4200  men  and  700  horses.  It  is  considered  as  the 
key  to  the  Argonnes  passes,  which  have  long  been  in  the  pos¬ 
session  of  the  Germans,  but  will  now  be  more  securely  held,  as 
numerous  Francs-tireurs,  relying  on  the  fortress,  infest  them. 
Verdun  is  at  present  the  terminus  of  the  railway,  which  is  to  be 


WEDNESDAY,  NOVEMBER  9. 


407 


continued  in  a  direct  line  from  Rheims  and  Chalons  to  Metz, 
but  which  will  not  be  available  for  communication  between  Metz 
and  Paris,  owing  to  its  considerable  distance  from  the  former. 
It  has  18,000  inhabitants.  The  negotiations  for  its  surrender 
were  opened  on  the  3d  inst.,  and  an  eight-days  armistice  was 
first  concluded.  The  commandant,  Baron  Guerin  de  Walders- 
bach,  who  had  previously  protested  that  he  would  hold  out  as 
long  as  one  stone  remained  on  another,  thought  that  after  the 
fall  of  Metz  resistance  was  useless,  as  relief  was  out  of  the 
question,  while  the  besieging  force  might  be  largely  strength¬ 
ened.  The  fortresses  now  held  by  the  French  in  the  north-east 
are  Meziferes,  Montmedy,  and  Longwy,  the  latter  provisioned 
for  a  year.  Verdun  surrendered  to  General  Von  Gayl  on  the 
eighth,  with  several  weeks’  provisions.  The  town  has  been  se¬ 
verely  bombarded,  the  citadel  suffering  much  from  Prussian 
shells.  Manteuffel,  with  the  First  Corps  of  Steinmetz’  old  army, 
released  from  Metz,  was  already  on  the  march  to  assist  in  its 
reduction,  but  the  soldiers  divided  themselves  into  Republican 
and  Imperial  parties,  when  an  internal  quarrel  ensued.  Baron 
Waldersbach  goes  a  prisoner  to  Wilhelmshohe,  and  Manteuffel, 
with  Goeben,  marches  toward  Amiens,  in  the  north  of  France. 

Wednesday,  November  9.  — Gortschakoffs  letter  abrogating 
the  treaty  of  Paris  delivered  in  London,  Vienna,  Constantino¬ 
ple,  Florence,  and  Tours.  Immense  excitement  in  England. 
The  press  and  people  clamor  for  war,  and  Earl  Granville  writes 
a  threatening  reply.  A  general  European  war  threatened ;  but 
Queen  Victoria  discountenances  war  measures,  milder  counsels 
prevail,  a  congress  of  European  powers  convoked,  and  England 
covers  up  a  broken  treaty  and  wounded  honor  with  the  smoke 
of  diplomacy.  General  Aurelles  de  Paladines  defeats  General 
Von  der  Tann  at  Coulmiers,  south-west  of  Orleans,  near  Mer, 
capturing  guns,  ammunition,  and  prisoners.  Von  der  Tann 
makes  a  precipitate  retreat  through  Orleans  and  Artenay  to 
Toury. 

RUSSIA  — PRUSSIA  vs.  TURKEY  — ENGLAND. 

THE  BREAKING  OF  THE  TREATY  OF  PARIS. 

Preliminary  to  the  breaking  of  the  treaty  of  Paris  (given  page 
331),  Czar  Alexander  of  Russia  commenced  cultivating  friendly 


403 


THE  FRAN CO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


relations  with  King  William.  This  friendly  diplomacy  met  with 
great  prejudice  among  the  Russian  masses,  who  are  exceed¬ 
ingly  jealous  of  Prussia,  and  who,  as  the  author  noticed  in  St. 
Petersburg  and  Moscow,  in  1867,  never  lose  an  opportunity 
of  showing  their  supreme  contempt  for  the  Germans.  For 
months  in  Moscow,  in  the  Russo-Ainerican  family  of  his  cousin, 
Robert  Williams,  the  Russian  railroad  king,  the  author  was 
thrown  constantly  in  the  society  of  representative  Russians. 
They  had  one  feeling  —  a  hatred  towards  England  and  Prussia, 
and  one  political  belief — which  was  to  break  the  treaty  of 
Paris  and  open  up  the  Black  Sea  to  the  armed  ships  of  Russia. 
When  a  Cabinet  Minister  asked  Nicholas  about  the  expediency 
of  teaching  German  and  English  in  the  Russian  school,  he  ex¬ 
claimed,  “No,  no  !  teach  them  no  English,  but  French  and 
American.”  This  hatred  of  Prussia  is  also  indulged  in  by  the 
Czarewich,  who  married  Dagmar  of  Denmark;  and  the  work  of 
conciliating  Prussia,  as  a  necessary  preliminary  to  the  breaking 
of  the  treaty  of  Paris,  devolved  entirely  upon  the  far-seeing 
Czar. 

After  the  declaration  of  war  by  Napoleon  on  the  15th  of  July,  Gortscha- 
koff  visited  Berlin,  and  had  several  interviews  with  Bismarck  and  King  Wil¬ 
liam  before  their  departure  for  war.  Gortschakoff  then  made  known  Rus¬ 
sia’s  intention  to  remain  neutral,  and  asked  as  her  reward  the  acquiescence 
of  Prussia  in  the  abrogation  of  those  articles  in  the  treaty  of  Paris  which 
forbid  Russia  from  keeping  a  fleet  in  the  Black  Sea.  This  Bismarck  se¬ 
cretly  agreed  to  do,  but  it  was  then  mutually  understood  that  the  agreement 
should  not  be  publicly  promulgated  until  the  conclusion  of  peace  between 
France  and  Prussia.  This  bargain  enabled  Prussia  to  place  in  the  war  the 
two  corps  that  had  been  left  for  the  defence  of  the  eastern  province  of  Silesia. 
Russia  also  agreed  secretly  to  restrain  any  interference  on  the  part  of  Austria, 
and  for  this  purpose  mobilized  her  army  toward  the  Austrian  border. 

To  further  conciliate  King  William,  simultaneously  with  the  mobilizing 
of  300,000  Russian  troops  in  Southern  Russia,  the  Czar  conferred  upon  the 
Crown  Princes  of  Prussia  and  Saxony  the  highest  compliment  of  Russia  — 
the  Order  of  St.  George.  Was  it  not  significant  of  Queen  Victoria’s  kind 
wishes  towards  Napoleon  III.,  when  she  conferred  upon  him  the  “Order 
of  the  Garter,”  and  received  his  Imperial  kiss  on  the  Windsor  staircase? 
That  act  did  not  signify  more  than  this  act  of  the  Czar ;  for  in  the  hall  of 
St.  George,  that  magnificent  white  chamber  in  the  Imperial  palace  of  St. 
Petersburg,  only  the  especial  friends  of  the  Czar  are  allowed  to  banquet. 
Following  in  quick  succession,  the  same  Order  was  conferred  upon  the  Grand 
Duke  Mecklenburg-Schwerin  ;  while  numerous  letters  from  the  Czar,  con¬ 
gratulating  King  William  on  his  victories  over  the  French,  won  the  concili¬ 
ation  of  the  Prussian  King.  On  the  eve  of  the  battle  of  Sedan  a  courier 
arrived  from  the  Czar,  congratulating  his  Majesty  on  the  victories  before 
Metz;  adding,  however,  that  he  felt  confident  that  Prussia  would  offer  fair 
terms  of  peace,  and  would  not  require  any  cession  of  territory  from  France. 

After  the  victory  of  Sedan  and  the  proclamation  of  a  republic  in  Paris, 


BREAKING  THE  TREA  TV  OF  PARIS. 


409 


a  second  autograph  letter  came  from  the  Czar,  full  of  congratulations,  but 
repeating  the  remark  as  to  territorial  acquisitions,  which  might  alter  the 
present  position  of  the  great  Powers  to  the  disadvantage  of  Russia. 

The  reply  of  King  William  was  warm  ;  the  old  man’s  heart  was  melted 
into  complacency,  and  henceforth  the  friendship  of  Russia  and  Prussia  went 
on  increasing.  Bismarck  offered  mild  terms  to  Jules  Favre  and  magnani¬ 
mous  terms  to  M.  Thiers  ;  while  Count  Von  Moltke  looked  upon  the  mo¬ 
bilization  of  500,000  Russian  troops,  showing  his  gratification  in  a  smile. 

GORTSCHAKOFF  AND  GRANVILLE. 

Prussia  was  conciliated.  If  the  rest  of  Europe  could  be  induced  to  per¬ 
mit  Russia  to  break  the  treaty  of  Paris,  what  chance  would  the  12,000,000 
Turks  stand  against  the  80,000,000  Russians  ?  The  odious  articles  in  the 
treaty  of  Paris  which  are  given  in  full  on  page  331,  stipulate  that,  — 

“The  Black  Sea  shall  only  be  entered  by  merchant  vessels  ;  that  no  armed  vessel,  of  what¬ 
ever  nation,  shall  ever  e?iter  her  waters  ;  and  that  Russia  and  Turkey  shall  not  construct 
any  arsenal,  naval  or  military,  upon  her  shores. 

The  Russians  claim  that  the  treaty  has  been  broken  by  the  passage  into  the 
Black  Sea  of  the  Turkish,  English,  and  American  frigates  of  war,  and  that 
as  one  of  the  powers  (France)  which  signed  the  treaty  is  not  in  a  condition 
to  meet  in  a  congress  of  nations  to  abrogate  the  same,  that  Russia  will  take 
the  initiative,  and  peacefully  break  it,  by  sending  her  squadron  to  winter 
quarters  through  the  Bosphorus. 

These  war  frigates,  over  which  Russia  makes  such  a  serious  complaint, 
were  the  pleasure  ships  of  the  Sultan,  the  royal  ship  of  Prince  Albert,  the 
pleasure  ship  of  Lord  Lytton,  and  the  frigate  “Franklin,”  commanded  by 
the  late  Admiral  Farragut. 

Another  article  of  the  treaty  of  Paris  stipulated  that  there  should  be  no 
union  of  the  Danubian  Principalities  ;  whereas  Wallachiaand  Moldavia  have 
made  a  political  union,  and  elected  Charles  as  Hospodar,  and  this  ■with  the 
connivance  of  Turkey,  and  the  silent  consent  of  England,  France,  and 
Austria. 

After  Russia  had  allowed  these  infringements  to  go  on  quietly  for  several 
years,  the  present  war  made  opportune  the  time  for  complaint  and  vigorous 
action.  So,  on  the  19th  of  October,  Gortschakoff  addressed  to  the  Russian 
Ambassador  in  London,  for  the  benefit  of  Earl  Granville,  a  letter  setting 
forth  the  Russian  intention  to  break  the  treaty.  In  this  letter,  after  going 
over  the  ground  complaining  of  the  infringements  on  the  treaty  by  other 
powers,  Gortschakoff  summed  up  the  Russian  intentions.  He  says  in  sub¬ 
stance,  “  a  treaty  broken  in  favor  of  other  nations  should  not  stand  against 
the  interests  of  Russia  ;  that  the  treaty  has  not  withstood  the  test  of  time, 
and  that  Russia  will  not  imperil  her  own  security  by  keeping  a  treaty  which 
has  not  been  kept  article  by  article  by  other  nations:  ”  therefore,  — 

“His  Imperial  Majesty  can  no  longer  consider  himself  bound  by  the  obligations  of  the 
treaty  of  18th  (30th)  March,  1856,  so  far  as  these  limit  his  right  of  sovereignty  in  the 
Black  Sea  ;  .  that  he  loyally  gives  notice  of  this  to  the  powers  signing  and  guaran¬ 

teeing  the  genera1  treaty,  and  that  he  restores  to  His  Majesty  the  Sultan  the  full  posses¬ 
sion  of  his  right  in  this  respect,  as  he  equally  reclaims  his  own  for  himself.  .... 

It  is  by  no  means  the  purpose  of  his  Imperial  Majesty  to  raise  the  Eastern  question 
upon  this  point.  He  has  no  other  wish  than  the  preservation  and  consolidation  of  peace. 
He  fully  maintains  his  adhesion  to  the  general  principles  of  the  treaty  of  1856,  which  set¬ 
tled  the  position  of  Turkey  in  the  European  system.  He  is  ready  to  confirm  its  general 
stipulations  or  renew  them  or  to  substitute  for  them  any  other  equitable  arrangement  which 
may  lie  thought  suitable  to  secure  the  repose  of  the  East,  and  the  European  equilibrium. 
His  Majesty,  however,  is  convinced  that  peace  and  equilibrium  will  have  a  stronger 
guarantee  when  they  shall  have  been  placed  on  more  just  and  solid  bases  than  those  re¬ 
sulting  from  a  position  which  no  great  power  could  accept  as  a  normal  condition  of  ex¬ 
istence.” 

18 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


410 


This  Russian  note  from  Gortschakoff,  written  from  Tzarskoe-Selo,  Octo¬ 
ber  19th,  was  delivered  simultaneously  at  London,  Vienna,  Constantinople, 
Florence,  and  Tours,  on  Wednesday  the  9th  of  November,  creating  a  dip¬ 
lomatic  stir  throughout  Europe.  It  was  gravely  written,  to  the  point,  and 
meant  business.  Divested  of  its  diplomatic  language,  the  Czar’s  note  meant 
this:  You  three  strong  powers  strangled  my  father  Nicholas  after  the 
Critnea,  and  made  him  agree  to  a  foolish,  un just  thing  —  never  again  to  go 
in  and  out  of  his  own  front  door.  That  front  door  is  on  the  Black  Sea, 
while  his  bach  door  is  on  the  Baltic,  frozen  top  seven  months  in  the  year. 
Now  one  of  you  villains  is  dead  —  that  is,  France,  and  I  have  bought  the 
other — Prussia,  and  I  fear  not  the  third —  Great  Britain,  even  though 
she  can  summon  those  little  Bluebeards,  Italy  and  Austria,  to  help  her. 
/  defy  you,  and  to-day  I  go  in  and  out  of  my  front  door  left  me  by  my 
father. 

On  the  20th  of  October  Gortschakoff  addressed  another  note  to  Baron 
Brunnow,  the  Russian  ambassador  in  London,  couched  in  still  stronger  lan¬ 
guage,  and  throwing  the  blame  of  the  first  infringement  of  the  treaty  upon 
the  shoulders  of  England  and  the  powers  of  Europe. 

Thursday,  November  10.  —  Earl  Granville  replies  to  Gort- 
scbakoffs  note. 

On  the  10th  of  November,  Earl  Granville  delivered,  through  the  Queen’s 
messenger,  Sir  Andrew  Buchanan,  a  firm  reply  to  Gortschakofl’s  two  notes, 
acknowledging  the  infringement  by  other  powers  against  the  treaty  of  Paris. 
Earl  Granville  maintained  that  these  infringements  by  other  powers  were  no 
excuse  for  Russia’s  breaking  the  treaty ;  that  the  question  was  not  as  to  its 
justness  or  unjustness,  but  turned  upon  the  issue  of  who  has  the  power  to 
break  a  treaty.  The  Earl  maintained  that  not  one  of  the  treaty-signing 
powers  had  a  right  to  break  the  treaty,  but  all  the  co-signers  must  agree 
together.  If  treaties  are  to  be  interpreted  and  broken  at  the  will  of  each 
of  the  parties  at  discretion,  the  result  will  be  the  entire  destruction  of  trea¬ 
ties  in  their  essence.  In  a  treaty  each  power  surrenders  a  certain  individ¬ 
ual  free  agency  for  the  benefit  of  the  rest,  but  by  the  doctrine  of  Russia 
each  power  holds  the  right  of  the  free  interpretation  of  every  article  of  a 
treaty  —  bringing  back  the  entire  subject  to  its  own  control.  Earl  Gran¬ 
ville  ended  by  saying: 

“  I  need  scarcely  say  that  Her  Majesty’s  Government  have  received  this  communication 
with  deep  regret,  because  it  opens  a  discussion  which  might  unsettle  the  cordial  under¬ 
standing  it  has  been  their  earnest  endeavor  to  maintain  with  the  Russian  Empire,  and 
for  the  above-mentioned  reasons  it  is  impossible  for  Her  Majesty  s  Government  to  give 
any  sanction  on  their  part  to  the  course  announced  by  Prince  Gortscha/cojf.  ” 

The  Earl  maintained  that  any  infraction  of  the  treaty  should  have  been 
referred  to  the  co-signers  of  the  treaty  for  adjudication,  and  that  such  a 
proceeding  would  have  the  result  of  preventing  future  complication,  and 
presented  a  very  dangerous  precedent  as  to  the  interpretation  of  interna¬ 
tional  obligations. 

PRUSSIA’S  POSITION. 

To  the  note  of  Gortschakoff,  Bismarck’s  reply  was  conciliatory.  “Russia’s 
claims  are  natural,”  says  the  Chancellor  ;  “  and  there  should  be  an  amicable 
settlement  of  the  treaty  question.  Prussia  can  see  no  cause  for  alarm  on 
the  part  of  the  co-signatory  powers.  Russia  might  have  appealed  to  the 
co-signatories  for  a  revision  of  the  treaty,  but  one  of  them  has  at  present 


TREATY  OF  PARIS  BROKEN. 


411 


no  organized  government,  and  is  unable  to  take  part  in  any  congress  that 
might  have  been  proposed. 

AUSTRIA’S  POSITION. 

Baron  Von  Beust,  the  Austrian  Minister,  has  concurred  since  1867  with 
Russia  in  the  belief  that  the  treaty  of  Paris  was  unjust  to  Russia,  but  he 
takes  exceptions  to  the  manner  of  abrogating  it.  He  says  “  had  Russia 
submitted  the  treaty  to  the  co-signors  for  a  revision,  a  favorable  result 
would  have  ensued His  difference  is  only  in  form,  but  his  letter  to  Gort- 
schakoff  is  firm  and  pointed.  He  insists  on  the 

“  force  of  the  obligations  contracted  in  1856,  which  are  not  to  be  evaded  or  annulled.  The 
fact  that  Turkey  can  sustain  a  fleet  where  Russia  cannot,  is  not  sufficient  for  arbitrarily 
dissolving  the  treaty.  The  action  of  Russia  endangers  all  existing  and  future  treaties. 
Turkey  is  responsible  for  the  union  of  the  Principalities.  Turkey  asks  that  we  shall  not 
give  our  sanction  to  a  breach  of  the  treaty.  The  mere  holiday  excursions  of  frigates  into 
the  Black  Sea,  with  princes  on  board,  were  perfectly  harmless.  Russia  should  have  shown 
her  dissatisfaction,  and  spoken  at  the  proper  time.  Austria  deplores  Russia’s  determina¬ 
tion,  and  expresses  her  surprise  at  it.  She  points  out  to  Russia  the  inevitable  conse¬ 
quences  of  the  step  she  has  taken. 

RUSSIA  REPEATS  HER  DEMAND. 

Earl  Granville’s  reply  was  received  respectfully  in  St.  Petersburg,  the 
Czar  having  already  had  assurances  that  the  Prince  of  Wales,  representing 
the  views  of  Queen  Victoria,  had  represented  to  the  Cabinet  her  disapproval 
of  the  Earl’s  previous  hasty  and  warlike  reply  to  Russia. 

To  Earl  Granville’s  letter  written  on  the  10th  of  November,  Gortschakoff 
replied  from  the  palace  of  Tzarskoe-Selo  on  the  20th.  His  tone  was  pacif¬ 
icatory,  and  he  excused  the  action  of  Russia  in  breaking  the  treaty,  on  the 
ground  that  “  the  attempts  made  at  different  times  to  assemble  the  powers 
in  a  general  conference  have  invariably  failed,  and  the  prolongation  of 
the  present  crisis  and  the  absence  of  a  regular  gover7iment  in  France 
postponed  the  possibility  of  an  agreement." 

Gortschakoff  still  maintained  that  the  abrogation  of  one  article  of  the 
treaty  did  not  abrogate  the  whole  treaty,  and  that  Russia  would  be  glad  of 
a  peaceful  adjustment  of  the  matter,  either  by  mutual  explanations  or  by 
a  congress  of  the  signing  powers.  Without  backing  down,  the  Russian 
Premier,  with  Chesterfieldian  diplomacy,  poured  oil  on  the  troubled  waters, 
and  the  political  heavens,  so  full  of  stormy  war-clouds,  became  quiet  and 
serene.  Milder  counsels  soothed  the  war  feeling  which  ran  high  in  England, 
and  a  great  treaty  was  broken  without  bloodshed.  The  breaking  of  this 
treaty  was  a  direct  assault  upon  England,  who  first  blustered,  and  then 
quailed  and  surrendered  a  great  principle,  glad  to  have  the  disgrace  covered 
up  in  the  smoke  of  diplomacy.  A  great  amount  of  diplomatic  smoke  will 
surround  the  breaking  of  this  treaty.  Gortschakoff  will  be  prevailed  upon 
to  withdraw  his  first  note,  and  ‘all  that  for  form’s  sake;  but  in  the  mean 
time  Russia  sails  her  iron-clads  in  and  out  of  the  Black  Sea,  and  Ignatief,  the 
Russian  ambassador,  dines  with  the  Sublime  Porte,  and  convinces  him  by 
diplomatic  logic  that  Russia  will  give  Turkey  better  guarantees  than  the 
treaty  of  Paris.  Luxemburg,  Holland,  Belgium,  and  Savoy,  whose  exist¬ 
ences  depend  upon  treaties  and  guarantees  from  the  great  powers,  now 
tremble,  not  knowing  when  Bismarck,  Von  Beust,  or  Gortschakoff  may  take 
a  fancy  to  blot  out  their  feeble  existences.  Beyond  the  smoke  of  the  Black 
Sea  business,  Bismarck  already  has  his  eye  on  trembling  Luxemburg. 

ROUMANIA  BREAKS  THE  TREATY. 

On  the  25th  of  December,  substantiating  the  logic  of  Earl  Russell,  the 
Roumanian  Government  repudiated  the  treaty  of  Paris  and  declared  its 


412 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


independence.  The  Servians  are  also  moving  to  establish  an  independent 
kingdom,  like  Hungary.  Thus  Turkey  loses  her  Danubian  provinces, 
Servia  looks  toward  a  Hungarian  alliance,  and  the  Roumanian  Hospodar 
(ruler)  who  is  a  Hohenzollern,  related  to  King  William,  and  a  brother  of 
Leopold,  the  old  Spanish  throne  aspirant,  becomes  an  ally  of  the  Czar  of 
Russia.  In  the  mean  time  it  becomes  known  that  Russia  has  been  prepar¬ 
ing  since  1S63  to  break  the  treaty  of  Paris  —  that  she  has  been  building  a 
substitute  for  Sevastopol,  which  could  not  be  restored,  according  to  the 
treaty  of  Paris,  as  an  arsenal.  The  site  chosen  for  the  new  naval  harbor 
is  the  town  of  Poti,  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Rion,  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  Black  Sea,  a  few  miles  distant  from  the  Turkish  frontier,  which  separates 
Circassia  from  the  Russian  province  of  Georgia.  A  railway  has  been  con¬ 
structed  from  Poti  to  Tiflis  and  the  Circassian  Sea,  down  the  valley  of  the 
River  Kur ;  and  two  million  roubles  have  been  expended  by  the  Russian 
Government  on  its  docks  and  piers,  making  Poti  capable  of  harboring  a 
large  squadron  of  war  ships. 

Thursday,  Nov.  10. — The  battle  of  Coulmiers  —  the  first 
French  victory.  Von  der  Tann  retreats,  with  loss  of  guns  and 
prisoners,  to  Toury.  Paladines  takes  possession  of  Orleans. 
Earl  Granville  writes  his  famous  war  letter  to  Gortschakoff. 
General  Treskow  moves  from  Belfort  to  the  assistance  of  Von 
der  Tann,  leaving  force  large  enough  to  besiege  Belfort. 
General  Bressoles  at  Lyons  orders  the  fortress  to  be  pro¬ 
visioned  for  70,000  men  for  two  months. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  COULMIERS  {NOV.  io). 

The  defeat  and  flight  of  Motterouge’s  command  from  Arte- 
nay,  and  its  disgraceful  retreat  across  the  Loire  at  Orleans  on 
the  1  ith  of  October,  given  on  page  366,  filled  the  Tours  Govern¬ 
ment  with  grave  apprehensions.  The  Republic  was  in  danger 
—  the  terrible  Von  der  Tann  seemed  almost  to  reach  out  his 
hands  towards  the  Republican  capital,  and  Southern  France  was 
fired  again  to  deeds  of  danger  and  patriotism.  It  was  the  old 
terrible  recoil  of  the  North  after  Manassas,  and  a  whole  nation 
seemed  to  spring  forward  to  wipe  out  the  stigma  of  Motte¬ 
rouge’s  defeat.  These  were  dark  days  for  France.  The  mag¬ 
nificent  army  which  moved  out  with  a  haughty  Emperor  had 
surrendered  at  Sedan,  and  the  proud  Imperial  Guard,  with  a 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  veterans,  had  surrendered  at  Metz. 
Manteuffel  was  moving  upon  Amiens  on  the  north,  Werder 
was  pushing  Garibaldi  towards  Lyons  on  the  east ;  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg  was  marching  towards  Le  Mans  on 
the  west,  and  Prince  Charles  was  sweeping  down  with  an 


COULMIERS  —  FIRST  FRENCH  VICTORY. 


413 


hundred  thousand  veterans  fresh  from  the  glories  of  Metz. 
France  was  fated  to  show  one  of  those  sublime  efforts  by  which 
she  has  astonished  more  than  once  the  centuries,  and  awed  the 
world  to  admiration.  Thousands  of  her  sons  were  ready  to 
fight  —  ready  to  die  for  France  ;  but  where  was  the  leader  — 
who  the  man  to  concentrate  her  dying  energies  ?  From  the  red 
furrows  of  battle  sprang  the  young  soldier  of  the  Republic, 
Aurelles  de  Paladines.  Paladines  is  a  natural  Republican. 
The  Emperor  lavished  no  honors  upon  him,  but  kept  him 
constantly  in  the  background,  while  decorations  and  promo¬ 
tions  were  held  out  to  Bazaine,  Bourbaki,  and  De  Failly,  the 
strong  supporters  of  the  Imperial  regime.  Born  of  the  Re¬ 
public,  the  very  presence  of  Aurelles  de  Paladines  seemed  to 
organize  victory  from  the  military  chaos  left  by  Motterouge. 
South  of  Orleans  he  immediately  reorganized  the  defeated  Army 
of  the  Loire.  Polh&s  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Fifteenth 
Corps,  Lussac  in  command  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  and  Pallieres 
in  command  of  the  Seventeenth  Corps  ;  while  General  Fierck, 
assisted  by  Keratry,  that  stanch  Republican,  who  demanded  the 
abdication  of  the  Emperor  in  August,  organized  the  Army  of 
the  West  at  Le  Mans.  Guns  came  from  Tours  and  men  flocked 
from  Southern  France,  until,  as  if  by  magic,  Paladines  had 
80,000  men,  well  supplied  with  artillery.  Von  der  Tann  was 
in  front  with  about  25,000  men,  but  they  were  the  First  Bavarian 
veterans,  who  had  fought  with  the  Crown  Prince  at  Weisenburg, 
destroyed  MacMahon  at  Woerth,  and  formed  the  chain  about 
Sedan  which  captured  an  Emperor. 

On  the  5th  of  November,  Paladines  commenced  the  move¬ 
ment  against  Von  der  Tann  in  Orleans,  which  was  to  give  the 
first  victory  to  France.  General  Lussac’s  Sixteenth  Corps  was 
advanced  on  the  west  of  Orleans,  threatening  a  flank  move¬ 
ment  across  the  Loire  from  Blois  to  Marchenoir,  supported 
by  General  Polhes’  Fifteenth  Corps  at  Mer.  Pallieres  threat¬ 
ened  Orleans  in  front  from  the  south  bank  of  the  Loire,  while  a 
force  of  30,000  French  marched  up  from  Bourges  to  attack 
Von  der  Tann  from  the  east. 

On  the  8th  there  was  an  unusual  commotion  in  Von  der 
Tann’s  camp  at  Orleans,  and  a  grave  apprehension  that  Pala¬ 
dines  was  about  to  move  Lussac  and  Polhes  against  the  Ger¬ 
man  rear,  to  cut  off  communication  with  the  Paris  army.  The 
whole  German  army,  leaving  only  a  regiment  in  Orleans,  was 
marched  westward  to  ascertain  the  intentions  of  the  French. 
A  Coulmiers  between  Orleans  and  Mer,  on  the  morning  of  the 


414 


THE  FRANC O-PR  Ui>  S'! AN  WAR. 


9th,  the  First  Bavarian  Corps,  formerly  with  the  Crown  Prince, 
encountered  Polhes,  Lussac,  and  Pallieres,  eighty  thousand 
strong.  Polhes  immediately  commenced  the  attack  with  large 
masses  of  infantry,  ninety  guns,  and  seven  regiments  of  cav¬ 
alry.  Though  outnumbered,  it  would  not  do  for  the  heroes  of 
Woerth  and  Sedan  to  fall  back  without  a  fight ;  so  all  that 
day  the  Bavarians  withstood  the  shock  of  twice  their  number. 
Four  times  Polhes  advanced  in  fearful  onslaught  against  the 
sturdy  Germans.  Von  der  Tann  should  have  retreated  early  in 
the  day,  but  it  was  a  hard  thing  for  men  who  carried  Frosch- 
weiler  to  turn  their  backs  for  the  first  time  upon  a  victorious 
foe.  Surprised  at  his  own  success,  the  first  hesitating  advance  of 
Polhes  became  a  bold  and  bloody  attack.  The  French  began 
to  fight  again  with  something  of  hereditary  renown.  Suddenly 
the  Germans  yielded  up  the  glories  of  a  dozen  victories,  and 
after  a  bloodier  day  than  Woerth  or  Sedan,  night  gave  the 
first  French  victory  to  Paladines  and  the  Republic.  The  First 
Bavarian  Corps  lost  70  officers  and  3000  men,  and  the  next 
morning  the  Prussian  ammunition  train  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
French.  In  the  midnight  darkness  Von  der  Tann  fell  back 
to  Orleans,  his  personal  luggage  and  camp  carriage  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  French.  As  the  Germans  fell  back  towards 
Orleans,  Cathelineau,  with  the  troops  from  Bourges,  supported 
by  Pallieres  with  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  fell  upon  the  retreat¬ 
ing  Von  der  Tann.  Strongly  fortified  positions  were  stormed 
and  captured  by  the  French,  and  the  Germans  were  compelled 
to  abandon  to  the  French  an  immense  amount  of  hospital 
stores,  with  sick  and  wounded.  The  Anglo-American  Ambu¬ 
lance  Corps  was  also  captured  by  Paladines.  On  the  10th, 
Von  der  Tann  made  a  stand  at  Baccon,  a  few  miles  north 
of  Orleans,  beyond  the  forest  of  Cercottes,  where  another 
sanguinary  conflict  ensued.  Paladines’  victorious  troops 
stormed  the  German  entrenched  camp  with  a  terrible  impetu¬ 
osity,  throwing  the  Bavarians  into  a  precipitate  retreat  through 
Artenay  to  Toury,  where  they  were  reinforced  by  the  Sixth 
Prussian  army,  40,000  strong,  under  the  Grand  Duke  Mecklen¬ 
burg,  and  the  forces  of  Prince  Ollrich,  from  Chartres.  Their 
decisive  victories  filled  the  French  troops  with  joy.  Cowed  by 
losing  every  battle  since  SaarbrUck,  they  had  lost  all  hope. 
Now,  as  they  mounted  guard  around  the  captured  caissons  and 
guns,  they  looked  proud  and  cheerful,  and  a  new  “  fire  was  up 
in  the  eye.”  The  victoiy  of  Paladines  was  complete,  though 
his  forces,  as  heretofore  has  been  the  case  with  the  Germans, 


C O ULMIERS,  NOVEMBER  to. 


415 


three  times  outnumbered  the  enemy.  General  Paladines,  on 
taking  possession  of  Orleans,  issued  the  following  order  to  his 
troops :  *■ 

Soldiers:  Origans,  Nov.  iotk,  1870. 

The  action  of  yesterday  was  a  glorious  one  for  our  army.  Every  po¬ 
sition  of  the  enemy  was  vigorously  carried,  and  the  enemy  is  now  retreat¬ 
ing.  I  have  informed  the  Government  of  your  conduct,  and  am  instructed 
to  return  to  you  their  thanks  for  your  victory.  Amid  the  disasters  in 
which  France  is  plunged,  her  eyes  are  upon  you,  and  she  counts  upon  your 
courage.  Let  us  all  make  every  effort,  in  order  that  this  hope  may  not 
be  mistaken.  D’Aurelles  de  Paladines, 

Commander-in-Chief. 

General  Paladines,  in  a  dispatch  to  the  Tours  war  minister, 
says  : 

We  have  taken  possession  of  the  city  of  Orleans,  after  a  fight  which  has 
lasted  two  days.  Our  aggregate  losses  in  killed  and  wounded  do  not  reach 
2000,  while  those  of  the  enemy  are  much  larger. 

We  have  made  more  than  1000  prisoners  thus  far,  and  are  continually 
adding  to  them  as  we  follow  up  the  fleeing  enemy.  Among  the  property 
captured  are  two  cannon  of  the  Prussian  model,  20  ammunition-wagons, 
and  a  great  number  of  vans  and  provision-wagons.  The  hottest  of  the 
fight  took  place  around  Coulmiers,  on  Wednesday,  the  9th.  Notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  bad  weather  and  other  unfavorable  circumstances,  the  elan  dis¬ 
played  by  the  troops  was  remarkable. 

The  tidings  of  victory  from  the  Army  of  the  Loire  roused 
the  wildest  excitement  throughout  France.  Great  numbers  of 
troops  were  hurried  up  from  the  south  to  join  Paladines  in  his 
northward  march  for  the  relief  of  Paris,  while  Minister  Gam- 
betta  issued  these  ringing  words  of  hope  to  the  first  victorious 
French  army  : 

To  the  Army  of  the  Loire  : 

Your  courageous  efforts  recall  victory  to  our  cause.  France  owes  her 
first  ray  of  hope  to  you,  and  I  offer  you  the  public  praise  and  gratitude  for 
your  reward.  Recovering  strength  with  discipline,  you  have  retaken  Or¬ 
leans,  inaugurating  a  glorious  offensive.  You  are  on  the  road  to  Paris, 
which  awaits  you  ;  our  honor  hangs  on  your  loosening  the  grasp  of  these 
barbarians  ;  redouble  your  constancy  and  ardor,  and  you  will  overcome 
your  enemies’  superiority  in  cannon  with  French  elan  and  patriotic  fury. 
So  will  the  Republic  issue  victorious  from  the  struggle.  Gambetta. 

The  victory  of  Paladines  placed  the  German  besieging  army 
in  a  grave  situation.  Prince  Charles,  marching  from  Metz  by 
way  of  Toul,  Bar-le-Duc,  Troyes,  and  Montargis,  was  urged  to 
quicken  his  march  to  the  relief  of  Von  der  Tann,  while  King 
William  acknowledged  defeat  in  the  following  dispatch  : 

To  Queen  Augusta:  Versailles,  November  nth. 

General  Von  der  Tann  yesterday  retired  from  Orleans  to  Toury  be¬ 
fore  a  superior  force  of  the  enemy.  He  fought  the  French,  however,  all 
the  way.  He  has  already  been  reinforced  by  General  Wittich  and  Prince 


416 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


Ollrich.  The  latter  came  up  from  Chartres.  The  Duke  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin  will  also  join  his  forces  to  those  of  Von  der  Tann  to-day. 

W ILHELM 

General  Trochu  received  by  carrier  pigeon  the  following  dis¬ 
patch  of  victory  from  Tours,  which  arrived  the  sjme  evening 
in  Paris.  As  soon  as  the  news  was  detached  from  the  pigeon 
it  was  published  by  Jules  Favre,  and  placarded  throughout 
the  city,  causing  immense  enthusiasm  : 

Gambetta  to  Trochu  :  —  The  Army  of  the  Loire,  under  the  com¬ 
mand  of  General  D’  Aurelles  de  Paladines,  took  possession  of  Orleans 
yesterday,  after  a  combat  which  lasted  two  days.  Our  losses  in  killed  and 
wounded  do  not  reach  two  thousand  men  ;  those  of  the  enemy  are  much 
greater.  We  have  taken  a  thousand  prisoners,  and  the  number  is  being 
augmented  in  the  pursuit.  We  have  taken  two  cannon  of  the  Prussian 
model,  twenty-six  caissons  of  munitions,  and  great  quantities  of  wagons 
and  provisions.  The  principal  action  was  concentrated  around  Coul- 
miers  on  the  9th.  The  spirit  of  our  troops  was  remarkable,  in  spite  of  the 
bad  weather. 

Tours,  Nov.  ii,  1870. 

Friday,  November  11.  —  Capitulation  of  Neuf  Brisach, 
with  5000  men  and  100  guns. 

Saturday,  November  12th.  —  General  Paladines  made  gen¬ 
eralissimo  of  all  the  French  armies  outside  of  Paris,  and  Gen¬ 
eral  Pallieres  appointed  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  of 
the  Loire.  Immense  activity  on  the  part  of  the  French  in  pre¬ 
paring  the  campaign  for  the  relief  of  Paris.  Death  of  M.  Pie- 
tri,  formerly  Prefect  of  Police  in  Paris.  x 

PIETRI - OLLIVIER - GRAMONT - BENEDETTI. 

These  haters  of  the  Republic  seem  to  have  dropped  into 
supreme  contempt.  Pietri,  who,  as  chief  of  police  in  Paris 
played  the  atrocious  role  of  chief  Imperial  spy,  causing  igno¬ 
minious  arrests  and  blind  persecutions  among  the  opponents  of 
the  Empire,  has  expired  in  a  retired  town  in  Switzerland.  01- 
livier,  the  blind  tool  of  Napoleon,  but  whose  political  head  was 
severed  after  Woerth,  and  his  old  shoes  thrown  to  Palikao  to 
appease  the  wrath  of  Paris,  has  wandered  into  Italian  obscu¬ 
rity  ;  and  Gramont,  who  made  the  speech  in  the  Chambers, 
that  waked  the  sleeping  dogs  of  war,  with  as  jaunty  a  noncha¬ 
lance  as  if  he  were  betting  a  hat  on  a  horse-race,  is  lost  in  the 
London  fogs.  Baron  Hausmann  and  Prince  Napoleon  have 
become  as  mythical  as  Slidell  and  Benjamin  after  the  end  of 
Appomattox ;  while  Schneider,  the  old  President  of  the  Cham- 


TUESDAY, ,  NOVEMBER  15. 


417 


bers,  who  lost  his  hat  getting  out  of  the  Chamber  before  the 
coming  men  of  September  4th,  occupies  a  retired  chamber  in 
Regent  street.  Benedetti,  George  Ripley’s  “little  red  pepper¬ 
pot  of  a  Corsican,”  who  stormed  old  King  William  at  Ems,  and 
then  wrote  puzzling  dispatches  of  war  and  beer  and  barrels  of 
treacherous  Rhine  wine  to  the  Emperor,  advises  the  surrender 
of  France  in  demoralized  articles  in  “  The  Situation ,”  and 
writes  from  London  how  he  was  opposed  to  the  war  which  the 
French  people  brought  on,  in  spite  of  himself,  Gramont,  and  a 
blundering  Emperor  !  As  ridiculous  are  these  I-told-you-so 
pretensions  of  broken-down  Imperialists  as  would  be  a  claim 
on  the  part  of  Charles  O’Connor  that  Sumner  made  him  write 
about  “just,  wise,  and  beneficent  slavery,”  and  that  all  the 
time  he  was  in  favor  of  Lincoln’s  scheme  of  emancipation. 

Tuesday,  November  15.  —  Prince  Charles’  advance  arrives 
to  the  relief  of  Von  der  Tann.  Von  der  Tann  marches  west 
to  support  Mecklenburg,  while  Prince  Charles  marches  south, 
threatening  Paladines.  Kerfitry  advances  towards  Mecklen¬ 
burg  at  Dreux,  to  relieve  Paris.  Manteuffel  moves  towards 
Amiens.  Thionville  burning.  The  Berlin  banker  Gutterbach 
arrested  for  taking  the  French  loan.  Garibaldi  falls  back,  and 
Werder  in  force  occupies  Dole. 

The  treaty  with  the  South  German  states  Baden  and  Hesse 
for  the  establishment  of  the  German  Bund,  signed.  Bavaria  and 
Wiirtemberg  to  sign  on  the  25th. 

THE  GREAT  ARMIES  MOVING. 

After  the  fall  of  Metz  the  world  looked  for  peace,  but  never 
since  the  first  gun  at  Saarbriick  has  such  energy  been  shown  by 
both  armies  on  the  soil  of  unhappy  France  as  to-day. 

The  Republic,  born  amid  the  convulsions  of  war  and  nursed 
amid  bloodshed  and  defeat,  seemed  almost  to  surrender  to  de¬ 
spair,  but  the  victory  of  Paladines  fired  to  a  flame  her  expiring 
hope.  The  vindictive  power  of  the  Prussian  king  was  roused 
to  a  terrible  energy,  and  it  was  thought  to  strangle  in  one  grand 
sweeping  German  advance  all  the  new  armies  of  France. 
France  with  her  40,000,000  was  gaining  ground,  while  united 
Germany  with  her  39,000,000  could  see  only  defeat  in  delay. 


418 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


Trochu  had  reorganized  his  320,000  effective  men  into  three 
grand  armies,  under  command  of  Thomas,  Ducrot,  and  Vinoy, 
holding  King  William  with  350,000  men  around  Paris.  Gen¬ 
eral  Ernest,  with  Garibaldi  in  advance  at  Chagny,  and  with 
40,000  men  at  Macon,  stood  in  front  of  Werder’s  55,000  at 
Vesoul  and  Besangon.  General  Farre’s  30,000  at  Amiens  and 
Faidherbe’s  20,000  at  Lille  were  awaiting  the  arrival  of  Man- 
teuffel’s  70,000  veterans  from  Metz,  while  Keratry’s  55,000  were 
at  Le  Mans,  in  front  of  Mecklenburg’s  30,000  fresh  from  the 
fall  of  Soissons,  supported  by  Von  der  Tann’s  25,000  ;  and  Pala- 
dines’  180,000  were  pressing  up  from  Orleans  to  Artenay,  against 
Prince  Charles’  110,000  foot-sore  veterans  arriving  to  Von  der 
Tann’s  relief  from  Metz. 

The  relative  positions  of  the  ten  grand  French  and  German 
armies  of  800,000  men,  from  the  15th  to  the  18th  of  November, 
were  about  thus  : 

PARIS. 

GERMANS,  King  William  and  Crown  Prince .  — The  Guards,  Prince  Augustus  ;  Sec- 

350,000.  ond  Corps,  Fansecki  ;  Fourth  Corps,  Alvensleben  ;  Twelfth  Corps,  Prince 
George  of  Saxony  ;  Wiirtembergers,  Von  Obernetz  ;  Eleventh  Corps,  Bose  ; 
Sixth  Corps,  Tumpling  ;  Fifth  Coips,  Kirchbach  ;  Second  Bavarian  ;  Twen¬ 
ty-third  and  Twenty-fourth  Divisions,  Infantry  ;  Twelfth  Corps,  Artillery 
(Twelfth  Cavalry  Division  at  Creil,  to  support  Manteuffel). 

FRENCH,  Trochu,  Governor  of  Paris,  Commander-in-Chief;  Gen.  Schmitz  as  Chief 
320,000  of  the  Staff,  Gen.  Foyer  second.  Chief  of  Artillery,  Gen.  Ginod  ;  Command- 

(effectives.)  ant-in-Chief  of  the  Engineers,  Gen.  De  Chaband  la  Tour  ;  Chief  of  the 

Commissariat,  Gen.  Wolf. 

First  Army  —  Commanded  by  Gen.  Clement  Thomas,  who  also  replaces 
Gen.  Tamisier  as  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  National  Guard.  Chief 
of  the  Staff,  Col.  Montagut,  266  battalions  National  Guards.  The  Legion 
of  Cavalry  is  commanded  by  Col.  Quiclet,  and  the  Artillery  by  Col.  Schael- 
cher.  In  all  about  100,000  effective  men. 

Second  Army  —  Commanded  by  General  Ducrot.  Chief  of  Staff,  Gen. 
Appert ;  Second  Chief,  Lieut.  -  Col.  Wamet ;  Commandant  of  Artillery, 
Gen.  Fr6bauer  ;  Chief  of  the  Engineers,  Gen.  Tripier;  General  Wolf,  Com¬ 
missariat  of  this  Second  Army.  The  First  Corps  is  commanded  by  Gen. 
Blanchard  ;  the  artillery  by  D’Uberi.  The  First  Division  is  under  Gen. 
De  Malroy,  the  Second  is  commanded  by  Gen.  De  Mandluy,  the  Third  by 

Gen. - .  Gen.  Renault  commands  the  Second  Army  Corps.  The  three 

divisions  are  under  the  orders  respectively  of  Gens.  Susbielle,  Birthant  — 
who  has  replaced  Gen.  De  Bellemare  at  St.  Denis  —  and  De  Maussion. 
Gen.  D’Exoa  commands  the  Third  Army  Corps,  and  the  First  and  Sec¬ 
ond  Divisions  have  for  chiefs  Gen.  De  Bellemare  and  Gen.  Mattat.  This 
corps  also  includes  a  division  of  Cavalryun  der  Gen.  De  Champ6ron.  It  con¬ 
sists  of  two  brigades,  and  a  regiment  of  mounted  gendarmerie.  In  all  about 
150,000  men. 

Third  Army  —  Gen.  Vinoy  commanding.  Consists  of  eight  divisions,  in¬ 
cluding  one  of  cavalry,  and  seventeen  brigades.  Commanders  of  divisions, 
Gens.  Soumain,  De  Liniers,  De  Beaufort,  Correard,  D’Hugues,  Vice-Admi¬ 
ral  De  la  Ronciere,  and  Rear-Admiral  Pothuan.  In  all  about  70,000  men, 
1000  guns. 

North  (A  minis  —  Lille ) . 

GERMANS,  Gen.  Manteuffel.  —  First  Corps  ;  Eighth  Corps,  Goeben. 

70,000. 

FRENCH,  Gen.  Farre ,  Amiens. —  Gen.  Faidherbe,  Twenty-second  Corps,  Lille. 
50,000. 

East  ( Lyons  —  Dole). 

GERMANS,  Gen.  Werdcr.  —  Fourteeutu.  Corps.  Schmeling  at  Dijon. 

55,000. 


THIERS—  BISMARCK,  OCTOBER  31. 


419 


FRENCH,  General  IVa  Is  in- Ester  hazy  at  Lyons. — Army  of  the  Vosges,  Cambriels, 
75,000.  Garibaldi,  Menotti,  and  Ricciotti  at  Autun. 

West  ( Le  Mans —  Chartres). 

GERMANS,  Grand  Duke  Mecklenburg. — Thirteenth  Corps,  composed  of  the  Seven- 
45,000.  teenth  Infantry  Division  (Treskow),  the  Twenty-second  (Wittich),  and  the 
Fourth  and  Sixth  Cavalry  under  Prince  Albrecht  at  Chartres,  —  and  sup¬ 
ported  by  the  First  Bavarian  Corps  under  Von  der  Tann,  at  Etampes. 

FRENCH,  Gen.  Jaures  commanding,  Twenty-First  Corps  —  supported  by  Gen.  Fierck 
65,000.  and  K6ratry’s  Brittany  Corps. 

South  ( Artenay — Orleans). 

GERMANS,  Prince  Frederick  Charles  —  arriving  from  Troyes  with  Third  Corps,  Al- 
110,000.  vensleben  (2d)  ;  Ninth  Corps,  Manstein ;  Tenth  Corps,  Voigts  Rhetz  (sup¬ 
ported  by  Von  der  Tann). 

FRENCH,  General  Paladines,  Commander-in-Chief  of  French  armies  outside  of  Paris. 
150,000.  Gen.  Pallieres,  Commander-in-Chief  of  Army  of  the  Loire.  Commander  of 
Corps  —  Fifteenth  Corps,  Polhes  ;  Sixteenth  Corps,  Chanzy  ;  Seventeenth 
Corps,  Sonis  ;  Eighteenth  Corps,  Bourbaki ;  Twentieth  Corps,  Crouzat. 


Thursday,  November  17.  —  The  Grand  Duke  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin  repulses  Keratry’s  7000  Brittany  Mobiles  at  Dreux, 
while  General  Treskow  captures  the  town.  The  Prussian  bark 
Hermann  Helbmanns  blown  up  by  a  French  frigate  off  the 
coast  of  Ireland.  Amadeus,  son  of  King  Victor  Emmanuel 
II.  of  Italy,  and  Duke  of  Aosta,  elected  King  of  Spain  by  the 
Spanish  Cortes,  in  a  vote  191  against  120. 


Friday,  November  18.  —  General  Wittich’s  division  storms 
and  captures  Chateau  Neuf,  driving  back  Keratry’s  Brittany 
Mobiles  towards  Le  Mans. 

BATTLE  OF  DREUX  (Nov.  17-18). 

For  a  week  there  has  been  great  uneasiness  felt  by  King 
William  lest  the  victorious  army  of  Paladines  should  move 
northward,  and,  reinforced  by  Keratry,  attack  the  Paris  besieg¬ 
ing  army.  Prince  Charles,  whose  intention  was  to  march  to  the 
assistance  of  VVerder,  was  ordered  to  move  forward  in  hot  haste 
with  the  Third,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  Corps  to  the  relief  of  Von  der 
Tann,  relieving  Mecklenburg’s  Thirteenth  Corps  and  Prince 
Albrecht’s  cavalry. 

The  1 6th  of  November  found  Prince  Charles’  Tenth  Corps  at 
Sens,  following  up  the  Third  Corps  at  Nemours  and  the  Ninth 
at  Etampes.  While  Paladines  held  Von  der  Tann  and  Prince 
Charles  in  front,  Keratry  was  ordered  to  penetrate  the  Prussi  an 
investing  line  about  Paris ;  and  at  the  same  time  Trochu,  sup¬ 
ported  by  the  fire  from  the  forts  south  of  Paris,  was  to  co-operate 


420 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


with  Keratry  marching  to  the  relief  of  Paris.  News  of  Keratry’ s 
movement  was  sent  to  Trochuby  carrier  pigeon,  and  to  the  im¬ 
patient  Parisians  Trochu  had  said,  “  Wait— deliverance  is  at 
hand  —  when  you  hear  Paladines’  guns  to  the  south,  then  the 
garrison  of  Paris  will  march  to  battle.”  The  watchful  eye  of  Von 
Moltke,  always  cognizant  of  every  French  movement,  through 
his  cunning  spies,  saw  Keratry’ s  designs  as  soon  as  Trochu. 
He  immediately  ordered  the  Second  Corps  (Fansecki)  of  Prince 
Charles’  old  Third  Army  to  the  support  of  the  Sixth  Corps  (Tump- 
ling),  south  of  Paris,  despatching  Mecklenburg  from  Etampes 
towards  Dreux,  with  orders  to  attack  any  force  approaching. 
On  the  17th,  Keratry’s  advance,  7000  Brittany  Mobiles,  reached 
Dreux,  followed  by  the  marching  columns  of  Fierck  and  Jaures 
from  Le  Mans.  The  Bretons  were  met  promptly  by  Mecklen¬ 
burg’s  Seventeenth  division  (Treskow)  at  2  p.m.,  the  battle  lasting 
until  night.  Keratry’s  raw  levies  could  not  stand  the  steady 
fighting  of  the  German  veterans.  The  Seventeenth  and  Twenty- 
second  Prussian  divisions  stood  like  serried  granite  before  the 
French  advances.  At  5  p.m.  on  the  17th,  Treskow  advanced 
impetuously  forward  with  the  Seventeenth  division  of  the  old 
Fifth  Corps,  which  had  smelt  powder  at  Woerth  under  the  Crown 
Prince.  The  Bretons  now  fell  precipitately  back  upon  Chat¬ 
eau  Neuf,  while  Treskow  swept  the  field,  capturing  two  hundred 
prisoners,  and  the  town.  The  French  lost  150  in  killed  and 
wounded.  On  the  18th  Mecklenburg  made  no  advance,  except 
to  clear  the  woods  and  hills  beyond  Chateau  Neuf.  On  the  19th, 
Wittich,  with  the  Twenty-second  division,  advanced  through 
Chateau  Neuf  to  Digny  on  the  way  to  Chartres,  capturing  119 
Mobiles,  while  the  whole  French  force  retreated  beyond  Char¬ 
tres  towards  Chateaudun.  Says  an  eye-witness  : 

The  French  troops  were  of  the  most  irregular  kind,  many  of  them  boys 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  years  of  age,  who,  though  armed  with  the  chasse- 
pjts,  did  not  know  how  to  use  them.  They  generally  fought  behind  breast¬ 
works,  but  as  the  Germans  advanced  they  discharged  a  few  volleys  and  ran 
away  pell-mell  to  a  safe  distance,  discharging  and  running  as  before.  Five 
hundred  of  these  Mobiles  ran  from  their  breastworks  at  La  Madelaine,  took 
shelter  in  a  house  and  fired  from  the  windows.  About  seventeen  were  taken 
prisoners,  when  the  rest  threw  away  their  guns  and  ran  away.  The  Germans 
have  become  ferocious  from  this  kind  of  warfare.  The  French  having  no 
uniform  but  a  red  strap  sewed  on  the  shoulder  are  treated  as  outlaws,  and 
shot  down  with  impunity.  These  occurrences  have  become  sickening.  An 
officer  ,  of  the  lancers,  narrating  these  engagements,  said  he  had  heard  a 
heavy  musketry  fire  from  a  clump  of  trees,  and  Was  astonished  to  find  that 
it  came  from  a  single  old  man. 

“  What  did  you  do  with  him,”  said  a  bystander. 

“  I  sent  a  lieutenant  with  four  men  to  him  ;  and  then  — and  he  made 


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AMADEUS ,  KING  OF  SPAIN. 


421 


a  significant  sign  of  the  lancers  jabbing  the  man  with  lances.  “  He  was 
lying  on  his  back  on  the  ground,  and  although  one  of  them  had  bored  him 
through  with  his  lance  in  such  a  way  that  it  took  two  men  to  withdraw  it, 
he  had  strength  enough  to  discharge  his  piece  and  kill  one  of  the  lancers, 
and  after  the  lieutenant  had  shot  him  through  the  breast  with  his  pistol,  he 
once  more  discharged  his  gun,  and  it  required  three  more  shots  to  kill  him. 
The  Germans  are  rapidly  becoming  brutalized  from  this  kind  of  work.  At 
Dreux,  on  the  17th,  no  quarters  was  shown,  and  even  the  wounded  French¬ 
men  were  stabbed  with  the  bayonet.” 

The  Bavarians  were  in  reserve  the  whole  day.  To  those  unacquainted 
with  the  character  of  the  Bavarian  troops,  it  will  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
they  were  so  badly  beaten  by  these  irregular  troops  at  Orleans  on  the  gth. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  the  brute  in  the  common  Bavarian  soldier.  In 
every  town  that  they  enter  they  pillage,  plunder,  and  ruthlessly  destroy. 
Their  last  act  of  this  character  was  at  Digny.  So  long  as  they  know  that 
there  are  Prussians  to  support  them,  they  fight  with  brutal  force  ;  but  where 
they  are  left  to  themselves  they  have  not  sufficient  moral  courage  to  carry 
them  through,  and  to  this  fact  is  to  be  ascribed  their  defeat  at  Orleans. 

The  next  day  Mecklenburg  advanced  towards  Le  Mans, 
while  Prince  Charles  moved  his  army  towards  Beaune  -  la- 
Rolande  and  Montargis,  threatening  a  flank  movement  against 
Paladines.  In  Paris,  Trochu  listened  in  vain  for  the  glad 
boom  of  Paladines’  guns.  K^ratry  thundered  the  attack,  but 
the  sound  of  his  artillery  died  away  long  before  it  reached  Ver¬ 
sailles  and  the  beleaguered  capital  forty  miles  away.  So  ended 
the  first  attempt  of  the  Republic  to  succor  Paris.  A  load  of 
apprehension  was  lifted  from  the  shoulders  of  King  William, 
while  Trochu  continued  to  feed  the  Parisians  on  the  feeble 
diet  of  hope.  King  William  reports  the  victory  at  Dreux  as 
follows : 

To  Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles,  Nov.  18. 

The  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklenburg  yesterday  repulsed  the  enemy  along 
the  whole  line,  near  Dreux.  Gen.  Treskow  at  the  same  time  captured 
Dreux.  Many  prisoners  were  taken.  The  enemy  were  pursued  in  the 
direction  of  Le  Mans.  William. 

AMADEUS,  DUKE  OF  AOSTA. 

Amadeus,  elected  King  of  Spain  by  the  Spanish  Cortes,  to-day 
comes  into  quiet  possession  of  the  throne  aspired  to  by  Prince 
Leopold  of  Hohenzollern.  At  the  same  time,  his  father,  Vic¬ 
tor  Emmanuel  II.,  becomes  King  of  united  Italy,  wresting  tem¬ 
porary  power  from  Pope  Pio  IX.  The  King  is  fifty  years  old, 
stout,  and  carries  a  red  face,  almost  covered  with  an  immense 
mustache.  Amadeus  is  a  tall,  slender,  verdant-looking  youth 
of  twenty-five. 

Victor  Emmanuel  II.,  by  his  wife  Adelaide  of  Austria,  has 
had  six  children ;  Clotilde  Maria  Theresa,  born  1843,  wife  of 


422 


,  THE  FRANC O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR 


Prince  Napoleon  ;  Humbert,  Prince  of  Piedmont,  born  1844; 
Amadeus  (King  of  Spain),  born  1845  >  Oddo  Eugene,  Duke 
of  Montferrat,  born  1846  ;  Maria  Pia,  born  1847,  and  Charles 
Albert,  Duke  of  Chablais,  born  1851. 

Amadeus  accepts  the  Spanish  crown  at  Milan  on  the  20th 
of  November,  and  is  crowned  at  Madrid  January  1st,  after  the 
assassination  of  Marshal  Prim,  when  he  selects  the  following 
cabinet : 

Marshal  Serrano . President  of  the  Council. 

Cristinos  Martos . Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

Juan  Ulloa . Minister  of  Justice. 

Rear-Admiral  Beranger . Minister  of  Marine. 

Praxedes  M.  Sagasta . Minister  of  the  Interior. 

Don  Zorilla . Minister  of  Public  Works. 

Francisco  Ayala . Minister  of  the  Colonies. 

What  a  commentary  on  the  land  of  Ferdinand,  the  patron 
of  Columbus,  and  the  glories  of  Charles  the  Vth!  Spain  has 
become  a  nation  of  children,  and  now  the  descendants  of  Cer¬ 
vantes  and  Murrillo,  led  by  Marshal  Prim,  carry  the  Spanish 
crown  on  a  begging  trip  to  the  verdant  stripling  of  Milan. 
What  a  commentary  on  twenty  centuries  of  civilization ! 
With  what  disgust  does  a  proud  American  democrat  look  upon 
the  ignorant  vanities  of  the  old  world  despotisms  !  The  new 
House  of  Italy,  which  now  rules  Rome  and  Madrid,  and  casts 
a  covetous  glance  at  stolen  Savoy,  promises  to  wield  great 
future  influence  on  the  destinies  of  Europe.  It  is  now  Italy 
allied  by  ties  of  blood  to  Austria  and  Spain  on  the  south, 
with  Prussia  and  Russia  on  the  north,  and  poor  France  strug¬ 
gling  between. 

Saturday,  November  iqth.  —  Ricciotti  Garibaldi  surprises 
750  Prussians  at  Chatillon,  in  the  Department  of  the  Vosges, 
capturing  9  officers  and  150  men.  Prince  Charles  receives 
orders  to  prepare  for  a  grand  movement  towards  the  south  of 
France,  for  the  purpose  of  flanking  Tours  and  Le  Mans. 

RICCIOTTI  GARIBAFDI’S  RAID. 

From  Dole  the  Garibaldis  (the  General  and  his  sons  Men- 
otti  and  Ricciotti)  fell  back  to  Autun.  Here  the  General  or¬ 
ganized  a  camp  of  about  8000  mixed  troops.  There  were  old 
Garibaldians,  Italian  bandits,  adventurers,  rangers,  and  Francs- 
tireurs.  Such  a  motley  crowd  was  never  seen  before,  unless 
it  were  in  Jeff  Thompson’s  Arkansas  camp  in  ’62.  The  work 


SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  19. 


423 


of  this  command  was  to  continually  hang  on  the  flanks  of  the 
organized  Prussians  under  Von  Werder  at  Dijon,  and  for  this 
purpose  Ricciotti  and  Menotti  have  been  kept  constantly  in 
the  saddle.  On  the  12th  Ricciotti  organized  a  new  command 
of  about  800  rangers.  Every  man  was  full  of  dash,  and  as  reck¬ 
less  of  danger  as  the  raiders  of  Kilpatrick.  Dangerous  spirits 
gathered  around  Ricciotti,  without  call,  for  they  knew  he 
would  lead  them  to  successful  adventure.  On  the  18th,  Ric¬ 
ciotti  started  on  his  long  raid  in  the  rear  of  Von  Werder. 
From  Autun  he  marched  north  26  miles  to  Saulieu,  then  25 
miles  north  to  the  village  of  Motbard.  Twenty-five  miles  far¬ 
ther  north,  at  Chatillon,  which  is  50  miles  north-west  of  Dijon, 
were  700  Prussians,  awaiting  reinforcements  from  Chaumont. 
With  a  dash  the  Garibaldians  swept  forward,  and  5  o’clock  on 
the  morning  of  the  19th  found  them  in  front  of  the  sleeping 
Prussian  garrison.  Ricciotti  sent  a  company  of  80  men  to  sur¬ 
round  the  Hotel  of  the  Cote  d’Or,  and  caught  all  the  officers  of 
the  staff  in  bed.  Fancy  the  surprise,  the  scramble,  the  strug¬ 
gle.  Every  officer  barricaded  his  door.  In  that  hotel  only 
eight  officers  surrendered ;  two  preferred  to  be  shot.  In  an¬ 
other  none  would  surrender ;  six  were  killed.  Meanwhile  the 
other  corps  went  from  house  to  house,  making  prisoners  wher¬ 
ever  they  could.  Sometimes  a  band  of  Prussians  resisted  : 
they  were  shot.  While  Ricciotti’s  officers  were  consulting  as 
to  whether  they  should  attack,  the  news  came  that  1400  Prus¬ 
sians  were  arriving  on  the  route  to  Chaumont.  Ricciotti  then 
gave  the  order  to  collect  prisoners,  horses,  and  spoil.  They 
counted  100  dead  on  the  Prussian  side,  among  them  one  major 
and  two  colonels,  one  the  commander  of  the  garrison  of  the 
town,  the  other  acting  Prefect.  They  brought  away  167  pris¬ 
oners  (among  them  nine  officers),  62  horses,  four  carriages  full 
of  baggage,  cases  of  cigars,  papers,  and  quantities  of  rifles  and 
ammunition,  and  arrived  at  Motbard,  with  three  dead  and 
twenty  wounded,  causing  great  enthusiasm,  and  an  ovation 
from  the  French  people  of  the  town.  Garibaldi  heard  of  the 
success  of  the  raid  at  Aignay-le-Duc,  twenty-five  miles  north¬ 
west  of  Dijon,  he  having  changed  his  quarters  from  Autun  on 
the  20th.  An  eye-witness  who  gave  him  the  news  of  the  vic¬ 
tory  says  : 

I  wish  you  could  have  seen  his  face,  and  the  proud  smile  that  danced  in 
his  eyes.  “  C'est  tin  joli  petit  coup  de  noln v  garc(ou ,”  was  all  he  said. 
Then  he  read  the  letters  I  brought,  and  wrote  off  a  concise  account  of  the 
affair,  recommending  the  prisoners  to  the  generosity  of  the  French,  and 
warning  the  enemy  to  beware  how  they  bring  upon  themselves  reprisals. 


424 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


Some  one  said,  “  I  should  think  Ricciotti  ought  to  be  promoted.”  “  Well,” 
said  the  General,  “I  think  we  may  make  him  major  ;  ”  but  a  few  lines  he 
wrote  to  his  youngest  son  he  addressed  Captain,  whereas  the  Francs-tireurs 
have  made  him  Colonel,  and  they  have  the  right  to  name  their  officers. 

Paladines’  victory  over  Von  der  Tann  could  not  have  raised 
the  hope  of  Tours  more  than  this  little  coup  of  Ricciotti  has 
raised  the  expectations  of  the  Garibaldians.  For  this  success 
the  Tours  government  has  made  Ricciotti  a  “  Member  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor.” 

The  past  movements  of  General  Von  Werder  have  been  as 
follows  :  marched  on  Epinal,  Oct.  12th;  on  Vesoul,  Oct.  18th 
—  the  French  withdrawing  to  Besangon  and  the  fortress  of 
Belfort.  While  General  Werder  was  at  Vesoul,  General  Cam- 
briels  made  a  threatening  stand  at  Besangon,  which  place  sur¬ 
rendered  to  General  Werder  on  the  2 2d,  Cambriels  falling  back 
on  Auxonne  and  Dijon,  the  former  place  being  burned  by  the 
Prussians,  the  flames  lighting  up  the  last  steps  of  Werder1  s  suc¬ 
cessful  advance  from  Strasburg,  with  the  victorious  Fourteenth 
Corps. 

For  this  French  defeat  Cambriels  was  released  from  his  com¬ 
mand,  to  which  General  Ernest  succeeded ;  while  Garibaldi, 
coming  from  Italy,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Francs-tireurs 
in  the  Vosges,  assisted  by  his  sons  Menotti  and  Ricciotti. 
(See  page  378.) 

Sunday,  November  20.  —  Amadeus,  Duke  of  Aosta,  accepts 
the  Spanish  throne.  Gortschakoff  replies  to  Earl  Granville’s 
war  letter.  (See  Nov.  10.) 


Friday,  November  25.  —  Thionville,  seventeen  miles  north 
of  Metz,  capitulates.  The  Germans  set  4000  prisoners  free. 
Von  Moltke,  apprehensive  of  the  vast  numbers  of  Frenchmen 
rushing  to  arms  from  the  south,  abandons  his  contemplated 
southern  movement,  and  concentrates  the  German  armies 
to  the  support  of  the  army  of  Paris.  Manteuffel  with  the 
First  Corps,  and  Goeben  with  the  Eighth  Corps,  ordered  to 
be  ready  to  support  the  besieging  army. 

SURRENDER  *OF  THIONVILLE  (map,  p.  65). 

Thionville,  a  demolished  city  of  7000  people  and  500  houses, 
surrendered,  not  from  starvation,  but  to  escape  the  terrible 


THIONVILLE,  NOVEMBER  25. 


425 


Prussian  bombardment.  The  inclosing  fortifications  are  ex¬ 
ceedingly  strong,  but,  owing  to  the  absence  of  exterior  forts 
unlike  Metz,  the  town  was  liable  to  a  direct  bombardment.  On 
the  7th  and  8th  of  October,  when  Bazaine  made  his  great  sortie, 
121  wagon  loads  of  provisions  destined  for  Metz,  from  the 
French-sympathizing  Luxemburgers,  remained  in  Thionville, 
furnishing  the  city  with  six  months’  supply  of  food.  This  non- 
observance  of  neutrality  on  the  part  of  Luxemburg  will  not  be 
forgotten  by  the  map-making  Bismarck.  On  the  10th  of  Octo¬ 
ber  came  the  German  investing  army,  and  Thionville  was  her¬ 
metically  sealed.  The  surrender  of  Bazaine  sent  Zastrow  and 
the  old  Seventh  Corps  of  Steinmetz,  with  400  German  guns, 
to  Thionville,  whose  fortifications  were  strongly  defended  with 
380  French  guns,  from  sixteen  to  twenty-four  pounders.  After 
the  22d  of  November,  the  German  fire  became  intense,  the 
average  number  of  shots  being  seventeen  per  minute.  On 
Wednesday,  the  23d,  at  n  A.M.,  while  the  city  was  burning  in 
many  places  from  the  furious  German  fire,  General  Zastrow 
demanded  of  the  French  commander  the  surrender  of  the  town. 
The  French  commandant  replied  : 

“  So  long  as  there  remains  one  stone  upon  another,  or  one  drop  of  French 
blood,  the  city  will  not  be  surrendered  !  ”  —  a  reply  sufficiently  heroic,  but, 
unfortunately  for  its  historic  worth,  not  a  stone  of  the  fortifications  was 
disturbed,  nor  a  drop  of  French  blood  wasted.  On  Thursday,  at  6  o’clock 
a.m.,  the  French  offered  to  surrender  the  city,  on  condition  that  the 
Gardes  Mobiles  were  allowed  to  go  free.  After  two  hours’  consideration 
of  this  question,  the  Prussians  answered  with  six  hours’  bombardment. 
Finally,  the  French  displayed  the  white  flag,  and  offered  to  surrender  on 
whatever  conditions  were  granted  them.  At  six  p.M.  of  the  24th  of  No¬ 
vember,  the  capitulation  was  subscribed.  It  was  stipulated  that  on  the 
morrow  (the  25th),  at  nine  o’clock,  the  Germans  should  enter  the  town. 
The  time  of  entrance  was,  however,  at  the  request  of  the  French  com¬ 
mander,  made  two  hours  earlier,  on  account  of  the  insubordination  of  his 
troops,  who  were  enraged  at  the  surrender,  and  threatened  even  to  explode 
the  magazine.  There  was  no  danger  on  the  ramparts,  as  all  the  German 
shells  were  directed  against  the  city.  The  surrender  was  hastened  by  the 
appearance  near  the  ramparts  of  women  and  children,  who  upon  their 
knees  besought  the  commander  to  submit,  since  all  the  cellars  where  they 
had  sought  concealment  and  safety  were  overflowed  with  water,  one  or  two 
feet  deep,  on  account  of  the  rise  of  the  Moselle.  The  whole  number  of 
prisoners  was  6000.  Of  these,  the  regular  line  troops  —  about  2000  in 
all — were  retained  as  prisoners.  The  remainder  were  taken  to  the  first 
station  and  set  free.  There  are  107  buildings  totally  destroyed  ;  eighty- 
three  so  badly  injured  that  they  will  have  to  be  torn  down  ;  250  houses  will 
have  to  be  built  anew  from  the  first  story.  The  material  loss  is  reckoned 
at  $800,000,  and  the  commercial  loss  at  $4,000,000.  Not  one  house  is 
left  uninjured.  During  the  fifty-three  hours’  bombardment,  the  Prussians 
poured  into  the  city  from  30,000  to  40,000  bombs  of  eighty  pounds  weight. 


426 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


The  leniency  toward  the  Gardes  Mobiles  was  on  account  of  their  speaking 
the  German  tongue,  and  belonging  in  a  district  which  the  Prussians  intend 
to  appropriate. 

Saturday,  November  2 6.  —  General  von  Werder  defeats 
Garibaldi  near  Presques,  sixteen  miles  from  Epinal.  Generals 
Keratry  and  Carre-Kerresouet  resign  at  Camp  Conlie,  a  few 
miles  north  of  Le  Mans,  and  report  to  Tours.  Keratry’ s  Bre¬ 
ton  Guard  turned  over  to  General  Jaures.  All  the  Prussian 
armies  south  and  west  of  Paris  commence  advancing  —  Meck¬ 
lenburg  towards  Le  Mans,  Von  der  Tann  towards  Chateaudun, 
and  Prince  Charles  from  Toury,  Pithiviers,  and  Montargis  to¬ 
wards  Beaune-la-Rolande  and  Orleans.  The  Prussian  Tenth 
Corps  (Voigts  Rhetz)  encounter  the  French,  driving  them  to¬ 
wards  Beaune-la-Rolande. 

THE  SKIRMISH  AT  PASQUES. 

Garibaldi,  emboldened  by  the  success  of  Ricciotti  at  Chatil- 
lon,  ordered  his  other  son,  Menotti,  to  commence  a  farther 
march  in  the  rear  of  Von  Werder.  Menotti,  in  his  movement 
north  along  the  Vosges,  reached  Pasques,  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Epinal,  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  26th.  The 
Prussian  outposts  were  completely  surprised,  for  no  knowl¬ 
edge  of  Menotti’s  rapid  march  had  reached  them,  and  they 
were  attacked  with  great  impetuosity.  The  Prussians  were 
first  compelled  to  fall  back,  but  reinforcements  coming  up,  the 
Garibaldians  were  in  turn  repulsed  in  disorder.  The  next 
morning  General  Werder  ordered  pursuit,  overtaking  the 
Trench  rear-guard,  when  another  engagement  ensued,  in  which 
the  Garibaldians  lost  250  killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners, 
Menotti  having  about  2000  men  under  his  command.  The 
last  engagement  occurred  at  Plombi^res,  about  sixteen  miles 
south  of  Epinal,  and  famous  for  its  warm  baths.  This  repulse 
discouraged  the  Garibaldians,  and  for  some  time  no  more  at¬ 
tempts  were  made  against  the  Prussian  rear. 

Sunday,  November  27.  — Preparations  for  a  grand  battle  at 
Beaune-la-Rolande.  Prince  Charles  and  Paladines  face  to  face, 
skirmishing  all  along  the  line  through  Montargis,  Pithiviers,  and 


SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER  26. 


427 


Toury  to  Chateaudun.  Trochu  receives  news  of  Paladines’ 
intended  battle  by  carrier-pigeon.  Immense  movement  of 
troops  in  Paris.  The  forts  commence  a  terrific  cannonade. 
Manteuffel  skirmishing  before  Amiens.  Von  der  Tann  moves 
towards  Chateaudun  and  Mecklenburg  threatens  Le  Mans. 

PREPARING  FOR  BATTLE. 

The  great  plain  of  Beuce,  which  spreads  out  between  Toury 
and  Orleans,  is  macadamized  by  the  tramp  of  350,000  soldiers 
manoeuvring  for  position.  The  coil  of  150,000  Germans 
slowly  winds  around  the  threatening  French.  Prince  Charles’ 
veteran  Third,  Ninth,  and  Tenth  lie  coiled  up  at  Montargis  for 
a  dreadful  spring,  while  Von  der  Tann  quietly  awaits  at  Toury, 
inviting  fonvard  the  unsuspecting  Paladines  drawn  up  in  a  grand 
horse-shoe  line  in  front  of  the  Prussians,  from  Montargis  through 
Toury  to  Chateaudun.  As  if  to  spur  the  200,000  French  to 
desperation,  Mecklenburg,  with  his  barbarous  Bavarians,  march¬ 
ed  a  week  ago  in  reckless  nonchalance  southward,  almost 
within  shot  of  the  hot-headed  Corsican,  Gambetta,  at  Tours  ; 
while  Manteuffel  fired  his  first  shot  into  the  camp  of  General 
Farre  at  Amiens,  filling  the  region  of  Picardy  with  dismay  and 
demoralization.  Then  suddenly  the  whole  German  army  with¬ 
drew  towards  Paris.  To-morrow  will  be  a  day  big  with  events 
—  events  which  will  make  a  mark  among  the  centuries,  for  the 
three  great  battles  of  Beaune-la-Rolande,  Amiens,  and  Paris 
are  to  settle  the  weal  or  woe  of  the  Republic  and  of  France. 
On  the  24th,  the  German  armies  were  stretched  over  sixty 
miles  of  country,  from  Montargis  to  Le  Mans  ;  but  on  the  25th 
came  orders  for  Mecklenburg  and  Von  der  Tann  to  fall  back 
to  Prince  Charles’  support.  Von  Moltke’s  official  report,  dated 
Versailles,  November  6th,  says  : 

Nearly  the  whole  of  the  forces  at  the  disposal  of  the  French  Govern¬ 
ment  have  been  concentrated  between  Blois,  Tours,  and  Orleans.  If  de¬ 
feated  they  will  probably  retreat  to  Lyons,  which  is  strongly  fortified  and 
provisioned. 

All  around  Orleans  the  country  people,  instigated  to  fight  by  the 
priests,  who  have  been  ordered  by  Bishop  Dupanloup  to  preach  a  crusade, 
have  begun  a  guerilla  warfare  against  the  Germans. 

Patrols  are  fired  at  from  every  building  and  every  hedge.  Officers 
carrying  orders  are  shot  down  by  laborers,  seemingly  working  in  the  fields, 
but  provided  with  rifles  as  well  as  spades.  To  avenge  these  assassinations, 
all  non-soldiers  carrying  arms  are  immediately  executed.  Not  a  few  priests 
are  now  awaiting  trial.  The  towns  of  Sens  and  Nemours  have  been  se- 


42  S 


THE  FRANCO-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


vcrely  punished  for  conniving  at  the  surprise  of  Prussian  detachments  by 
Francs- tireurs. 

Monday,  Nov.  28. —  Prince  Charles  defeats  Paladines  and 
the  French  Right  at  Beaune-la-Rolande,  taking  1600  prisoners. 
Manteuffel  captures  Amiens,  the  citadel,  and  600  prisoners. 

Tuesday,  Nov.  29.  —  Generals  Trochu,  Ducrot,  and  Vinoy 
commence  their  three-days  sortie  from  Paris.  Feint  from  St. 
Denis,  Mont  Valerien,  and  Mont  Avron,  and  attack  in  force 
on  Brie,  Champigny,  and  Villiers. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  30.  —  Ducrot  makes  a  bloody  attack  with 
100,000  French  on  the  Wiirtembergers  and  Saxons  across  the 
Marne.  The  struggle  for  Villiers. 

Thursday,  Dec.  1.  —  General  Chanzy  defeats  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Mecklenburg,  and  drives  back  the  Bavarians  from 
Artenay  towards  Toury,  capturing  two  guns  and  300  prisoners. 
The  French  and  German  armies  around  Paris  rest  to  bury  the 
dead. 

Friday,  Dec.  2. — Mecklenburg  defeats  Chanzy  and  the 
French  Left,  driving  it  south  of  Artenay,  capturing  eleven  guns 
and  700  prisoners.  The  left  wing  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire 
doubled  up.  Ducrot  and  Trochu  continue  the  struggle  around 
Champigny,  Villiers,  and  Brie,  losing  1800  prisoners.  The 
French  advance  stopped,  and  Ducrot  prepares  to  fall  back  to 
Paris. 

Saturday,  Dec.  3.  —  The  Army  of  the  Loire  broken  into 
three  divisions,  and  driven  by  Prince  Charles,  Von  der  Tann, 
and  Mecklenburg  into  the  intrenched  camps  of  Orleans. 

Trochu’s  great  sortie  ceases,  and  the  French  army  retire  over 
the  Marne. 


ORLEANS ,  NOVEMBER  28. 


429 


Bismarck  declines  farther  neutrality  towards  Luxemburg, 
and  abrogates  the  treaty  of  London. 

Sunday,  Dec.  4.  —  Prince  Charles  defeats  the  Army  of  the 
Loire,  breaking  it  into  three  retreating  divisions.  Chanzy  falls 
back  with  the  Left  towards  Tours,  Pallieres  falls  back  with  the 
Centre  on  Vierzon,  and  Bourbaki  falls  back  with  the  Right  on 
Bourges.  Gambetta  escapes  capture  at  La  Chapelle.  Prince 
Charles  captures  seventy  guns  and  8000  prisoners. 

Manteuffel  defeats  the  French  north-east  of  Rouen,  capturing 
400  prisoners.  No  fighting  around  Paris. 

BATTLES  IN  FRONT  OF  ORLEANS,  Nov.  28— Dec.  4. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  commenced  the  gigantic  wrestle 
of  the  giants  Paladines  and  Prince  Charles,  on  the  plain  of 
Beuce  between  Orleans  and  Paris.  This  immense  plain  spreads 
away  from  Paris  sixty  miles  to  Orleans  on  the  Loire,  and  is  one 
of  the  grandest  battle-fields  of  Europe.  The  country  is  dotted 
Avith  innumerable  little  French  villages,  formerly  filled  Avith  a 
Avealthy  and  contented  peasantry.  On  the  left  of  this  vast 
prairie,  looking  southAvard,  is  the  village  of  Beaune-la-Rolande, 
snugly  couched  at  the  feet  of  a  grand  elevation.  Beaune  is  the 
strategetic  key  to  the  German  Left,  and  no  less  a  General  than 
Prince  Charles  held  the  sentinelship  of  the  location.  Paladines 
looked  cautiously  at  Beaune,  and  in  its  capture  could  see  his  army 
already  pushing  fonvard  to  the  Seine  and  Paris.  He  did  not 
think  that  a  French  repulse  would  bring  down  Prince  Charles 
Avith  the  bloody  Third  and  Tenth  upon  Orleans.  Paladines  had 
laid  his  plans  Avith  consummate  strategy.  His  army  had  been 
reorganized,  new  general  appointed,  and,  flushed  with  his  last 
victory  over  Von  der  Tann,  Iris  hopes  ran  high  indeed.  The 
Republic  expected  much  of  Paladines,  and  Paris  looked  only  for 
deliverance  in  success. 

The  French  Centre,  in  front  of  Prince  Charles,  was  commanded 
by  General  Martin  de  Pallieres,  with  the  old  Fifteenth  Corps  of 
Polhes ;  the  Right-Centre,  the  Twentieth  Corps,  was  commanded 
by  General  Crouzat  ;  and  the  extreme  Right,  the  Eighteenth 
Corps,  was  commanded  by  General  Bourbaki.  The  Left  Centre, 
the  Sixteenth  Corps,  in  front  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Mecklen- 


420 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN 


burg,  was*  commanded  by  General  Chanzy  ;  and  on  the  extreme 
left  was  the  Seventeenth  Corps,  commanded  by  General  Sonis. 
The  lines  were  about  twenty  miles  long,  extending  from  be¬ 
yond  Beaune-la-Rolande  past  Pithiviers,  to  Artenay  in  these 
relative  positions  : 

Right.  MECKLENBURG.  Centre.  BRINCE  CHARLES.  Left. 

i  Bay’s,  Von  der  Tann’s  13  C.  and  17  and  22  div’s.  9  Corps,  3  Corps,  and  10  Corps. 
#  #  #  #  #  #  #  #  #  # 

*  *  ^  [Battle-Field  between.]  #  ^  # 

*######### 
Sonis,  17  C.  Chanzy*s  16  C.  Palli6res*  12  C.  Crouzat’s  20  C.  Bourbaki’s2o  C. 

Left.  GEN.  ATTREELES  DE  PAEADINES.  Right. 

Word  had  gone  to  Trochu  that  the  Army  of  the  Loire  would 
deliver  the  beleaguered  capital,  and  while  Trochu,  Vinoy,  and 
Ducrot  were  moving  to  the  bloody  battle  of  the  Marne,  Pala- 
dines  advanced  upon  the  German  left  at  Beaune.  It  was  a  day 
of  battles,  that  28th  of  November,  and  the  day  was  freighted 
with  the  destinies  of  men  and  nations.  Reorganized,  the  army 
of  the  Republic  was  to  meet,  face  to  face,  the  veterans  of  Metz  ; 
and  Paladines,  the  hope  and  the  right  hand  of  the  Republic,  was 
to  meet  Prince  Charles,  the  strong  arm  of  Prussia  and  the  king. 

BATTLE  OF  BEAUNE-LA-ROLANDE  —  Nov.  28. 

Sixty  thousand  Frenchmen  had  been  manoeuvring  around 
the  little  village  of  Beaune  to  fall  upon  Prince  Charles. 
All  day  long  the  27th,  Voigts  Rhetz’s  old  Tenth  Corps,  which 
stood  the  six-hours  Balaklava  assault  at  Mars-la-Tour,  eyed  in 
sullen  silence  from  the  quiet  village  the  threatening  Twentieth 
Corps,  the  Right  Centre  of  Paladines’  army.  The  cattle  from 
the  plains  had  vanished,  the  hamlets  were  deserted,  and  the 
peasantry  had  fallen  to  the  rear. 

The  sullen  gloom  about  Beaune  was  the  quiet  which  pre¬ 
cedes  the  shock  of  a  great  battle.  During  the  forenoon  of  the 
28th,  scouts  began  to  clatter  back  and  forth  from  the  fronts  of 
both  armies,  the  pickets  were  strengthened  into  areconnoissance, 
and  on  each  side  the  artillery  limbered  up  and  galloped  hither 
and  thither  to  good  positions  near  the  front.  The  strategy  of 
Prince  Charles  was  to  tempt  Paladines  forward  towards  Toury, 
that  the  Prussian  army  might  move  by  the  flank  on  the  enemy’s 
rear,  cutting  him  off  from  Orleans,  and  holding  him  in  a  vice 
between  Von  der  Tann,  Mecklenburg,  and  his  own  army. 

At  two  o’clock,  Paladines’  first  attack  commenced.  Covered 


BE  A  UNE-LA-ROLANDE—NO  VEMBER  28. 


431 


by  artillery,  the  Twentieth  French  Corps  made  a  terrific  assault 
upon  Voigts  Rhetz.  The  advance  was  close  to  the  Prussians, 
as  the  French  artillery  was  of  shorter  range  than  the  Prussian  ; 
and  the  last  victory  at  Orleans  had  taught  Paladines  to  move 
his  artillery  within  range.  At  three  the  fighting  became 
general  around  the  village  of  Beaune,  the  French  reinforcing 
with  portions  of  the  Eighteenth  and  Fifteenth  Corps,  while 
Voigts  Rhetz  was  soon  supported  by  the  First  and  Fifth  divi¬ 
sions  of  Alvensleben’s  veteran  Third  Corps.  The  onslaught 
of  the  French,  who  had  regained  something  of  their  hereditary 
eclat  by  their  victory  over  Von  der  Tann,  was  fierce  ;  but  the 
steady  fighting  of  Voigts  Rhetz’s  Hanoverians  met  every  as¬ 
sault  without  flinching. 

At  five  o’clock  the  French  completely  surrounded  the  village 
of  Beaune,  and  opening  with  close  artillery,  a  steady  rain  of 
iron  hail  poured  upon  and  through  the  burning  village.  After 
a  long  and  bloody  infantry  assault,  the  French  demanded  its 
surrender.  It  was  refused,  and  again  the  battle  grew  hotter 
than  before.  It  was  the  last  struggle  of  the  day  ;  but  the 
50,000  French  were  met  by  fresh  reinforcements  from  the 
Prussian  Third  Corps  and  driven  back. 

The  Prussian  forces  holding  the  village  of  Beaune  had  now 
shot  away  all  their  ammunition.  The  situation  was  grave,  in¬ 
deed.  “  My  children,”  said  the  brave  Colonel  of  the  Sixteenth 
Regiment  to  his  ammunitionless  men  — 

“We  have  been  ordered  by  our  Prince  to  hold  this  village  at  all  hazards  ;  in  our  efforts 
to  do  so  we  have  run  short  of  ammunition.  This  is  a  misfortune,  but  you  must  remember 
that  there  is  one  sort  of  ammunition  which  never  fails  —  our  bayonets.  You  must  now 
trust  to  them.  If  the  French  attack  the  village,  they  must  be  driven  back  with  the  cold 
steel ;  we  have  no  other  means  of  stopping  them.” 

The  men  answered  this  appeal  with  a  cheer,  and  when  or¬ 
dered  to  bring  their  arms  to  the  charge,  did  so  with  a  good  will 
which  augured  ill  for  the  chances  of  the  French  should  they 
attempt  to  storm  the  village. 

The  attempt  was  not  made,  for  the  Third  Corps  had  already 
repulsed  the  advancing  French,  capturing  900  prisoners,  and 
leaving  the  ground  thick  with  2000  French  and  German  killed 
and  wounded.  The  Prussians  now  advanced  in  force,  covering 
the  field,  while  the  French  fell  back,  leaving  to  the  heroic  Voigts 
Rhetz  and  Alvensleben  the  honor  of  bivouacking  on  the  victo¬ 
rious  battle-ground  of  Beaune.  On  the  morrow,  Paladines  fell 
back  into  his  entrenched  camps  before  Orleans.  On  the  result 
of  this  battle  Gambetta  was  silent,  while  King  William  sent  the 
following  despatch : 


432 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


To  the  Queen  :  Tuesday,  Nov.  29,  1870. 

Frederick  Charles  reports  the  complete  defeat  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire  in 
the  battle  of  Monday,  in  which  the  French  had  the  Twentieth  Corps,  prob¬ 
ably  the  Eighteenth,  and  portions  of  the  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth  Corps, 
engaged.  A  thousand  French  were  found  dead  on  the  field,  4000  were 
wounded,  and  1600  taken  prisoners.  General  Aurelles  is  reported  to  be 
wounded.  The  German  loss  was  1000  ;  among  them  few  officers. 

Wilhelm. 

Thus  ended  the  first  effort  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire  to  succor 
the  beleaguered  capital,  and  the  hope  of  Paris  was  fated  to 
end  in  calamitous  despair. 

SKIRMISHING. 

On  the  29th  both  armies  rested,  Von  der  Tann  occupying 
the  extreme  right  of  the  German  line,  which  extended  from  in 
front  of  Allaines  to  Nogent  on  the  left,  where  the  Third  Corps 
were  encamped.  For  twenty  miles  north-east  of  Orleans,  be¬ 
tween  Nogent,  Chateau  Neuf,  and  Montargis,  is  an  immense 
forest,  and  Paladines  moved  his  army  towards  the  entrenched 
camps  at  Artenay,  fearing,  in  case  of  disaster,  to  be  caught  with 
no  chance  to  retreat.  The  30th  was  spent  by  both  Prince 
Charles  and  Paladines  in  manoeuvring  for  position.  Both 
armies  were  concentrated,  and  ready  to  leap  forward  to  battle. 

Thursday,  the  1st  of  December,  found  Paladines  pressing 
forward  from  Artenay,  while  Prince  Charles  was  awaiting  pa¬ 
tiently  the  results  of  Trochu’s  attempt  to  escape  from  Paris. 
The  cavalry  and  Bavarian  corps  of  Mecklenburg’s  troops  were 
worn  out  with  incessant  marching.  For  days  they  had  been 
marching  and  scouting  away  off  towards  Le  Mans  and  south 
towards  Tours.  Ragged  and  shoeless,  they  were  in  no  con¬ 
dition  to  fight.  From  the  9th  of  November  to  the  30th,  the 
restless  spirit  of  Mecklenburg  had  been  marching  his  men  on 
an  average  of  18  miles  per  day.  He  had  been  driving  the 
armed  peasants  and  Bretons  from  Dreux  and  Chateau  Neuf,  and 
menacing  Tours  from  Vendome.  Thursday  found  his  weary 
army  and  Von  der  Tann  encamped  on  the  same  ground  in  front 
of  Artenay,  from  which  he  had  withdrawn  on  the  14th  of  No¬ 
vember.  The  Bavarians  occupied  Mecklenburg’s  right.  While 
the  Duke  was  dining  at  the  headquarters  at  Jeanville,  a  small 
village  between  Artenay  and  Allaines,  the  French  under  Chanzy 
were  making  a  victorious  attack  on  the  Bavarians.  The  Bava¬ 
rians  were  outnumbered  and  driven  back  towards  Toury,  with 
the  loss  of  two  cannon  and  a  few  hundred  prisoners.  It  was 
the  report  of  this  victory  which  electrified  the  Tours  Govern¬ 
ment,  and  caused  the  Te  Deums  to  be  chanted  in  the  French 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  2. 


433 


churches.  All  that  night  the  Germans  concentrated  for  the 
attack  on  the  morrow,  while  Chanzy  sent  a  report  of  victory 
from  his  headquarters  at  Patay. 

BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  2. 

December  2d  opened  cold  and  frosty.  Mecklenburg  (or  his 
chief  of  staff,  Gen.  Stosch)  had  completed  arrangements  for  the 
day’s  battle.  At  daylight  the  Duke  with  his  staff  dashed  off 
to  the  front.  Twenty  villages  were  passed  before  the  battle¬ 
field  was  reached.  The  attack  of  Chanzy  commenced  at  eight 
o’clock.  The  first  French  onslaught  was  fierce  and  confident. 
The  worn-out  Bavarians  met  them  stoically  and  without  flinch¬ 
ing.  Chanzy  pushed  forward  the  entire  Sixteenth  French  Corps 
against  the  Bavarians,  who  were  four  times  beaten  £>ack,  and  at 
last  were  unable  to  resist  any  longer,  and  their  place  had  to  be 
supplied  with  the  Seventy-fifth  and  Seventy-sixth  Hanseatic 
Regiments  of  the  Seventeenth  Division,  who  entered  the  fight 
at  about  n  o’clock.  The  fight  gradually  extended  towards 
the  east,  and  at  2  o’clock  the  whole  line,  from  beyond  Artenay 
to  the  Bavarian  lines,  was  one  continuous  storm  of  shot  and 
shell.  The  French  stood  their  ground  bravely.  The  Germans, 
weary  and  exhausted  by  long  marches,  made  desperate  efforts 
to  beat  back  the  French,  who  were  largely  superior  in  numbers, 
and  had  cannons,  mitrailleuses,  and  chassepots. 

The  Seventeenth  Division  (Prussian)  had  not  seen  a  serious 
engagement  before,  and  they  did  not  fight  like  the  veterans  of 
Woerth  and  Metz.  All  day  long  the  battle  raged.  Hundreds 
of  houses  were  in  flames  from  the  bursting  shells,  and  villages 
burned,  victims  of  shot  and  sword.  As  night  approached,  on 
one  side  the  moon  shone  brightly,  and  on  the  other  the  whole 
horizon  was  illuminated  by  the  glare  of  burning  houses  and  vil¬ 
lages.  The  ground  was  very  well  adapted  for  cavalry  charges, 
and  opposite  Artenay  the  Fourth  Cavalry  Division  was  very 
active.  At  one  time  along  the  road  was  to  be  seen  a  herd  of 
over  100  riderless  horses,  which  galloped  along  in  great  terror, 
most  of  them  being  very  badly  wounded,  and  covered  with 
blood.  A  whole  cavalry  regiment  had  been  met  by  a  deadly 
mitrailleuse  fire. 

It  was  the  death  struggle  of  Chanzy  and  the  French  Left,  the 
Right  having  flinched  and  fallen  before  Prince  Charles  at  Beaune. 
The  French  do  not  yield  with  night,  but  as  darkness  comes 
on,  victory  seems  to  hang  on  the  side  of  the  Republic.  The 
Bavarians,  weary  and  decimated,  cry  loudly  for  Prince  Charles, 

19 


434 


THE  FRAN  CO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


and  tremble  for  the  morrow.  The  battle  is  not  ended.  Von  der 
Tann  is  wounded.  3000  French  and  German  wounded  lay 
upon  the  ground,  and  1700  Frenchmen  prisoners,  and  several 
dismounted  and  broken  cannons  are  filing  to  the  rear.  To¬ 
morrow  will  tell  whether  German  tenacity  or  French  elan  shall 
win  the  day ;  for  to-night  fate  hangs  breathless  in  the  balance. 
To  show  how  uncertain  is  the  result  of  a  great  battle,  we  give 
the  dispatches  of  Mecklenburg  and  Paladines,  as  night  abruptly 
ended  the  fight.  Seldom  is  a  great  army  conscious  wheii  it  has 
won  a  great  victory.  This  was  the  case  at  the  second  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  when,  if  Lee  had  known  the  status  of  Pope’s  army, 
a  cavalry  charge  might  have  pushed  back  the  Union  army  upon 
the  capital  in  dismay.  So  at  Gettysburg,  when  for  twenty-four 
hours  the  author  saw  Meade  stand  motionless,  while  Lee  was 
in  precipitate  retreat.  The  strategy  of  the  German  armies  has 
been  to  push  forward  after  a  battle,  striking  terror  to  a  hesi¬ 
tating  enemy.  Had  Meade  done  this  at  Gettysburg,  thousands 
instead  of  hundreds  of  prisoners  would  have  fallen  into  his 
hands  at  Falling  Waters,  where  Lee  fled  across  the  Potomac. 
On  that  night  of  the  2d  of  December,  as  the  smoke  cleared 
away,  Paladines,  flushed  with  the  hope  of  victory,  wrote  to  the 
Bishop  of  Orleans  :  “  We  have  had  a  series  of  successes.  I  do 
not  say  victories  ;  I  reserve  that  word  for  to-morrow.”  Meck¬ 
lenburg,  as  full  of  hope,  thus  telegraphs  to  King  William  : 

“This  morning  a  battle  commenced  near  Bazoches-les-Hautes  [to  the 
north  of  Artenay],  After  a  hot  fight  the  Fifteenth  Army  French  Corps  was 
defeated  and  driven  back  to  Artenay,  and  the  Sixteenth  French  Army  Corps 
driven  beyond  Loigny.  Several  hundred  prisoners  and  eleven  guns  were 
taken.  The  enemy’s  loss  is  considerable.  Our  loss  is  unknown,  but  it  is 
much  smaller  than  that  of  the  enemy.” 

BATTLE,  DECEMBER  3. 

Last  night  was  a  sleepless  night  for  the  two  armies.  All  night 
long  the  German  artillery  rumbled  to  the  front,  to  be  ready  at 
the  first  gleam  of  light  to  open  on  the  French.  Prince  Charles 
had  pushed  the  Third  and  Tenth  Corps  along  the  forest  of  Cer- 
cottes  towards  Chevilly,  almost  in  the  rear  of  Chanzy,  severing 
Bourbaki's  corps,  which  had  fallen  back  to  the  south-east, 
towards  Chateau  Neuf.  As  the  first  ray  of  morning  lighted  up 
the  frosty  battle-field,  Paladines  was  startled  to  hear  Prince 
Charles  pounding  away  on  his  right,  between  Chevilly  and 
Orleans  ;  while  Mecklenburg  and  the  revengeful  Von  der  Tann 
stood  squarely  in  front.  Soon  the  north  wind  wafted  the 
smoke  of  sixty  German  cannon  into  the  faces  of  the  French, 


BATTLE  OF  DECEMBER  3. 


425 


and  red  streams  of  shells  went  whizzing  over  their  heads  or 
ploughed  the  macadamized  fields.  Bourbaki  had  fallen  back  the 
day  before  with  a  dogged  sullenness,  giving  up  inch  by  inch  the 
soil  as  purchased  by  the  blood  of  the  old  Tenth  Corps  of  Voigts 
Rhetz.  Voigts  Rhetz  kept  his  eye  on  Bourbaki,  while  Alvens- 
leben,  with  the  Third  Corps,  opened  with  Mecklenburg  and 
Von  der  Tann  on  Chanzy,  in  the  triangle  between  Chevilly, 
Artenay,  and  Patay.  The  French  seemed  dismayed  at  the  un¬ 
expected  boldness  of  the  Germans,  and  the  hazardous  situation 
of  their  army.  Paladines  had  reserved  “victory”  for  the 
Bishop  of  Orleans  to-day,  but  that  message  was  fated  to  tell  of 
defeat.  Chanzy  sullenly  fell  back  towards  Orleans,  abandoning 
the  field  to  Mecklenburg;  while  Voigts  Rhetz,  hanging  on  his 
right  flank,  captured  several  hundred  prisoners  and  eleven  guns. 
The  day  was  a  fighting  retreat,  and  the  Germans  did  not  ad¬ 
vance,  except  against  the  savage  fire  of  an  army  determined  to 
sell  its  position  with  the  price  of  hundreds  slaughtered.  The 
French  army  was  doubled  up. 

The  German  advance  was  irresistible,  and  Paladines  ordered 
the  Left  and  Centre,  with  the  Sixteenth  Corps  of  Chanzy,  the 
Seventeenth  Corps  of  Sonis,  and  the  Fifteenth  Corps  of  Pallieres, 
to  fall  back  upon  Orleans  and  the  Twentieth  and  Eighteenth, 
under  Bourbaki,  severed  from  the  main  army,  retreated  over  the 
Loire  to  the  east  of  Orleans,  near  Chateau  Neuf  and  Jargeau. 
Everywhere  the  Germans  pushed  forward  their  victorious 
columns  with  a  dreadful  rapidity,  striking  demoralization  and 
terror  among  the  retreating  French.  Night  found  Paladines 
across  the  Loire,  surrounded  by  his  sorrowful  staff.  Victory 
had  been  wrested  from  him,  and  the  defeat  of  a  day  had  thrown 
him  from  the  high  pinnacle  of  fame  and  trust  to  the  low  estate 
of  a  vanquished  General.  That  night  he  advised  the  Govern¬ 
ment  of  the  necessity  of  evacuating  Orleans,  and  retreating  to 
the  left  bank  of  the  Loire.  The  Goverment,  however,  was  of 
opinion  that  it  would  be  better  to  hold  firm  at  Orleans ;  but 
Gen.  Paladines  reiterating  his  views,  the  Government  coincided, 
and  Orleans  was  eventually  evacuated. 

The  defeat  of  Paladines  and  the  Army  of  the  Loire  was  thus 
gently  announced  to  the  French  people  by  Gambetta,  who  has 
always  shown  himself  a  conspicuous  mouth-piece  to  cover  up 
Republican  disasters : 

Citizens  —  The  Army  of  the  Loire  has  discontinued  its  forward  move¬ 
ment  owing  to  the  resistance  of  the  enemy,  who  has  concentrated  large 
masses  of  troops  between  Pithiviers,  Artenay,  and  Angerville.  The  army 


436 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


occupies  strongly  intrenched  positions,  in  which  it  will  remain  for  the  pres¬ 
ent,  postponing  its  advance  until  a  better  opportunity  is  offered.  In  the 
meanwhile  Gen.  Ducrot,  with  the  army  which  he  led  out  of  Paris,  is  disen¬ 
gaged,  and  will  be  able  to  act  more  freely,  not  finding  before  him  the 
masses  of  the  enemy  which  it  was  supposed  were  going  to  meet  him,  but 
which  are  really  retained  north  of  Orleans.  Gambetta. 

BATTLE— DISASTER  — EVACUATION  OF 
ORLEANS,  Dec.  4. 

Sunday  morning,  December  4,  found  the  Army  of  the  Loire 
ready  to  break  into  three  divisions.  Bourbaki,  with  the  right, 
was  already  cut  off  by  Prince  Charles,  and  was  retreating  south¬ 
easterly,  towards  Bourges.  Chanzy,  with  the  Sixteenth  and 
Seventeenth  Corps,  was  ready  to  commence  his  struggle  north¬ 
westerly  towards  Blois  and  Tours,  and  Palli^res  held  Orleans 
with  the  Fifteenth.  At  noon,  Paladines  telegraphed  Gambetta 
that  he  had  changed  his  opinon,  and  would  continue  to  hold 
Orleans.  The  impetuous  Gambetta  instantly  started  for  Or¬ 
leans.  The  train  was  ordered  forward  at  lightning  speed. 
At  La  Chapelle,  a  few  miles  south-west  of  Orleans,  the  engineer 
rang  his  bell  in  terror,  and  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  while  Meck¬ 
lenburg’s  Fourth  Cavalry  fired  a  volley  of  bullets,  filling  the 
War  Secretary  with  fear  and  consternation.  “What  is  that?” 
exclaimed  Gambetta  ;  and  then  again  came  a  flash,  —  a  crash, 
and  the  Mecklenburg  bullets  tore  through  the  car,  while  down 
towards  Gambetta’s  carriage  rushed  the  speechless  railroad 
official,  with  his  eyes  wide  open.  “All  right,  Henri !  ”  said  the 
Minister  in  affected  composure  ;  “  back  to  Beaugency — quick  !  ” 
Like  lightning  buzzed  the  reversed  wheels  of  the  locomotive 
on  the  icy  track.  The  moment’s  delay  seemed  an  age,  for  in 
front  was  a  squadron  of  terrible  uhlans,  galloping  at  break¬ 
neck  speed  after  the  flying  Minister.  At  first  the  uhlans  gained 
on  the  train  and  Gambetta  fumbled  nervously  for  his  pistols, 
but  in  a  moment  more  the  light  train  sped  away,  and  the  last 
shots  of  the  Prussians  only  brought  a  derisive  screech  from 
the  locomotive.  At  Beaugency,  Gambetta  found  himself  sur¬ 
rounded  by  an  excited  crowd.  “What  news, — where  are  the 
rascals?”  asked  a  dozen  voices.  “All  is  well”  said  the  ever- 
sanguine  Minister —  “it  is  all  v-e-r-y  well; —  my  mind  is  re¬ 
lieved  ;  my  doubts  are  at  rest.  Our  countrymen  are  defending 
Orleans  as  becomes  true  Frenchmen.  At  La  Chapelle  I  heard 
the  Orleans  cannons,  —  I  know  we  are  victorious.  1  must  now 
get  a  carriage  for  the  south  road  to  Blois  as  soon  as  possible  ; 
there  good  news  awaits  me.  Take  courage,  my  friends, — 
France  shall  yet  be  saved.”  So  saying,  he  darted  into  a  car- 


EVACUATION  OF  ORLEANS.  —  DEC.  4. 


437 


riage,  and  his  horses  were  soon  trotting  over  the  frozen  ground 
towards  Blois.  On  he  flew,  past  the  astonished  villages.  The 
night  was  now  dark,  and  the  roads  were  as  slippery  as  when 
Dickens  says : 

“  There’s  frost  upon  the  pathway  and  there’s  mud  upon  the  track, 

And  the  ice  it  isn’t  water  and  the  water  isn’t  free, 

And  you  couldn’t  say  that  anything  is  what  it  ought  to  be.” 

No  news  !  On  sped  the  Minister.  Now  a  messenger  arrives 
on  a  panting  horse  with  a  dispatch.  In  a  moment  Gambetta 
caught  its  contents.  “ Mon  Dicn!  it  is  all  lost.  Freycinet 
says  D’Aurelles  has  surrendered  Orleans  !  ”  The  Minister’s  eyes 
gleamed  vengeance  for  a  moment,  and  then  hope  seemed  to 
come.  “  It  is  terrible,”  he  said,  but  the  Army  of  the  Loire  is 
still  there ;  the  Republic  has  yet  200,000  soldiers,  well  pro¬ 
vided  with  the  material  of  war.  No  one  shall  doubt —  we  will 
save  the  country  yet.”  Back  flew  Gambetta  to  Tours,  where, 
jaded  and  worn,  in  the  early  morning  he  found  a  despatch  from 
Palli&res  announcing  that  Prince  Charles  had  demanded  the 
evacuation  of  Orleans  under  a  threat  that  he  would  bombard 
the  place,  and  that  he  had  agreed,  in  the  name  of  Paladines 
to  comply  with  the  demand.  Accordingly  the  marine  batter¬ 
ies  were  spiked,  the  powder  destroyed,  and  while  Chanzy 
marched  towards  Blois,  pressed  by  Mecklenburg,  Pallieres  fell 
back  to  the  south  side  of  the  Loire,  and  then  farther  on,  south¬ 
ward  to  Vierzon.  Before  the  evacuation  of  the  city  Manstein’s 
Ninth  Corps  of  Prince  Charles’  army  assaulted  and  captured  St. 
Jean,  a  railroad  station  in  the  north  suburb  of  Orleans,  with 
thirty  guns  and  a  thousand  fleeing  French  ;  while  the  Third  and 
Tenth  Corps  went  after  Bourbaki.  Chanzy  marched  towards 
Tours,  followed  by  the  restless  Mecklenburg,  and  with  the 
Fourth  and  Sixth  Cavalry  everywhere  hanging  on  his  rear  and 
flank.  Thus  on  the  4th  of  December,  was  the  new  Army  of 
the  Loire,  —  the  hope  of  the  Republic,  broken  into  three  flee¬ 
ing  divisions,  and  its  commander,  Paladines,  .who  gave  the  first 
victory  to  the  Republic,  relieved,  and,  be  it  said  to  the  shame 
of  France,  disgraced.  At  midnight  the  Germans  occupied 
Orleans,  from  which  Von  der  Tann  had  been  driven  on  the 
10th  of  November.  The  re-occupation  of  Orleans  was  thus 
announced  by  King  William  : 

To  the  Quf.en:  Versailles,  Sunday  —  midnight. 

After  two  days’  battle,  in  which  the  army  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Meck¬ 
lenburg  was  mainly  engaged,  Manstein’s  Corps  captured  St.  Jean,  a  railway 
stationand  suburb  of  Orleans.  Thirty  guns  and  1000  prisoners  were  taken. 
The  Prussian  loss  was  moderate  ;  Wrangel’s  division  suffered  most. 


43S 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


The  Prussians  found  nine  cannon  and  much  ammunition  on  the  field  before 
Amiens.  Wilhelm. 

To  the  Queen  :  Versailles,  Dec.  5. 

The  city  of  Orleans  was  occupied  by  our  forces  last  night,  without  being 
stormed.  The  Third  Corps  took  nine  cannon  and  one  mitrailleuse.  The 
Eighth  Corps  of  the  First  Army,  on  the  4th  inst.  defeated  the  French  in 
several  conflicts  north-east  of  Rouen,  taking  one  gun  and  400  prisoners. 
Our  loss  was  only  one  killed  and  40  wounded.  We  have  taken  70  guns  and 
10,000  prisoners  in  three  days.  Wilhelm. 

THE  SPITE  OF  TOURS. 

The  excitement  in  Tours  on  the  defeat  of  the  army  was  in¬ 
tense.  Paladines  was  blamed,  abused,  and  finally  relieved 
from  command,  and  ordered  to  duty  at  Cherbourg,  with  as 
much  vindictiveness  as  was  displayed  by  Stanton  when  he 
ordered  Fremont  to  the  “Mountain  Department.”  Chanzy, 
with  Voillemont  as  chief  of  staff,  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  First  Army,  struggling  towards  Tours,  while  Bourbaki,  with 
Borel  as  chief  of  staff,  was  placed  in  command  of  the  defeated 
remnant  at  Bourges.  Paladines  refused  to  be  “shelved”  at 
Cherbourg,  choosing  rather  to  retire  broken-hearted  to  his 
estate.  Colomb  succeeded  Sonis,  the  captured  commander 
of  the,  Seventeenth  Corps ;  Ballot  was  placed  in  immediate 
command  of  Bourbaki’s  old  Eighteenth  Corps,  and  Jaurezi- 
bery  succeeded  to  Chanzy’ s  Sixteenth  Corps. 

So  ever  with  war.  It  makes  and  unmakes  a  good  many 
heroes.  Much  glittering  tinsel  becomes  rubbish,  and  many  un¬ 
fortunate  uniforms  slide  from  the  red  furrows  of  battle  to  quiet 
nooks  in  domestic  corners.  Victory  smiles  and  the  world  is 
awed  ;  adversity  frowns  and  back  slide  the  heroes  to  their  old 
rostrums  and  nostrums,  to  their  old  bar-rooms  and  bars.  How 
many  have  sighed  and  died  like  Paladines,  —  how  many  have 
wept  like  the  First  Napoleon  at  Toulon  ! 

THE  CAPTURE  OF  AMIENS  {Nov.  28). 

Simultaneous  with  the  attack  and  defeat  of  Paladines  at 
Beaune-la-Rolande  and  the  commencement  of  Ducrot’s  great 
sortie  for  the  deliverance  of  Paris,  Manteuffel,  with  the  First 
and  Eighth  Corps  (Goeben’s)  of  Steinmetz’  old  First  Army,  at¬ 
tacked  the  French  under  General  Farre  at  Villers-Bretonneux, 
ten  miles  south  of  Amiens. 

The  Mobiles  made  a  weak  defence,  and  though  their  force 
numbered  about  50,000,  they  could  not  stand  before  the  vete¬ 
rans  who  stormed  the  heights  of  Spicheren  and  swept  L’Admi- 
rault  and  Frossard  into  Bellecroix  after  the  battle  of  Pange. 
The  French  camp  was  captured,  the  Mobiles  making  a  hasty 


CAPTURE  OF  AMIENS— NOV.  2S. 


439 


retreat,  after  a  short  and  bloody  fight;  while  Goeben,  who  de¬ 
feated  Frossard  at  Spicheren,  advanced  upon  the  city.  The 
Prussian  losses  were  74  officers  and  1300  privates. 

On  Monday  the  Prussians  threw  some  companies  of  infantry 
around  the  fortress,  who  quickly  took  possession  of  the  houses 
in  the  neighborhood,  and,  under  this  cover,  fired  on  every  man 
who  appeared  on  the  ramparts.  It  was  thus  that  the  Captain 
intrusted  with  the  defence,  formerly  in  the  army,  but  actually  be¬ 
longing  to  the  artillery  of  the  National  Guard,  was  killed  by  a 
ball  through  the  lungs.  He  had  refused  to  surrender.  During 
the  night  the  Prussians  placed  eight  batteries  of  artillery  in 
position,  commanding  the  citadel  from  three  sides ;  and  the  cit¬ 
izens  passed  a  very  uneasy  time  of  it,  expecting  to  be  shelled 
on  all  sides,  with  a  great  probability  of  being  blown  up  in  ad¬ 
dition,  as  the  defenders  had  sworn  to  explode  the  magazine 
rather  than  yield.  However,  soon  negotiation  was  going  on  ; 
the  garrison  was  prepared  to  surrender  if  accorded  the  honors 
of  war, —  a  demand  at  which  Gen.  Von  Goeben  laughed  ;  finally 
the  white  flag  was  run  up,  and  the  victors  entered,  taking  600 
prisoners,  half  of  whom  were  quite  sufficient  to  defend  the  fort. 
By  the  capitulation  the  Prussians  were  free  to  withdraw  6000 
troops  for  operations  against  Rouen.  The  Prussians  admit  that 
the  fort  could  have  kept  them  occupied  for  thirteen  days,  the 
moat  being  very  wide,  and  the  walls,  though  only  of  brick,  very 
high.  Even  when  the  brick  would  have  been  knocked  about,  the 
fallen  earth  would  still  form  an  incline  very  steep  and  difficult 
for  a  storming  party.  Excepting  the  French  commandant, 
there  were  no  killed  or  wounded  on  either  side.  Three  civili¬ 
ans  were  wounded  through  their  own  imprudence,  and  a  little 
girl  killed  by  a  shell.  Considering  the  densely  populated  dis¬ 
trict  where  the  citadel  is  situated,  it  is  surprising  more  damage 
was  not  done. 

The  body  of  the  commandant  was  handed  over  to  his  wife 
and  four  children,  and,  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  was  “  laid  out  ”  in  the  chapel  of  the  Hotel  Dieu.  The 
deceased  will  go  down  to  posterity  as  the  bravest  of  the  brave, 
while  the  Prefect  of  Somme  will  be  held  in  disgrace  for  aban¬ 
doning  his  post  with  the  following  selfish  speech  : 

Citizens  :  The  day  of  trial  has  arrived.  In  spite  of  all  our  efforts, 
Amiens  must  fall  into  the  enemy’s  hands.  The  Army  of  the  North  is  re¬ 
treating  and  the  National  Guards  are  disarming.  1  leave  you,  but  will 
soon  return.  Be  calm,  be  confident.  France  will  be  saved. 

After  German  occupancy  an  eye-witness  wrote  : 

It  is  quite  a  pleasure  to  notice  the  changed  aspect  of  Amiens  since  it 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


440 


has  been  occupied.  There  is  a  quiet  spirit  of  order  everywhere  pervading. 
The  inhabitants  are  beginning  to  reappear,  having  discovered  that  the  end  of 
the  world  has  not  taken  place.  The  conduct  of  the  troops  is  most  admir¬ 
able,  and  it  is  amusing  to  note  their  appearance  of  complete  indifference  to 
the  fact  that  they  live  among  French  people.  Where  they  are  billeted  they 
offer  to  assist  the  owner  in  all  kinds  of  work.  They  are  the  most  willing 
of  “aids.”  The  shops  are  reopening.  After  a  while  we  shall  become  ac¬ 
customed  to  the  invaders.  As  an  example  of  how  the  French  judge  their 
unwelcome  visitors,  a  shopkeeper  complained  that  the  soldiers  robbed  him. 
On  being  investigated,  it  appears  a  poor  Saxon  desired  to  buy  a  piece  of 
sponge,  and  offered  to  pay  for  it  in  thalers,  which  money  was  declined,  with 
a  notice  that  it  would  never  be  taken  in  payment  for  French  goods.  The 
soldier  explained  that  he  wanted  the  sponge,  tendered  ready  money  for  it, 
which,  being  refused,  informed  the  shopkeeper  he  would  retain  the  article. 
After  a  week’s  hard  marching,  and  three  days  of  fighting,  coupled  with  the 
small  pittance  a  German  soldier  receives,  the  offer  to  pay  under  the  circum¬ 
stances  was  creditable,  and  the  marching  away  with  the  sponge  no  more 
than  poetic  justice. 

Manteuffel  and  Goeben  both  occupied  the  city  in  person, 
and  by  their  kind  courtesy  got  to  be  looked  upon  as  friends 
rather  than  as  invaders. 

King  William  thus  announced  the  capture  of  Amiens  : 

To  Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles,  Nov.  29. 

Yesterday  General  Manteuffel,  with  a  portion  of  the  First  Army,  de¬ 
feated  the  French  a  few  miles  south  of  Amiens.  The  French  lost  1000  in 
killed  and  wounded  and  600  in  prisoners.  The  Prussian  loss  was  compara¬ 
tively  unimportant.  William. 

The  French  field  forces  retired  toward  Arras  and  Lille  on 
the  north,  blowing  up  the  bridge  at  Albert  on  the  Amiens  and 
Lille  Railroad ;  while  Manteuffel  received  news  of  the  threaten¬ 
ing  battle  before  Paris,  and  orders  to  fall  back  towards  the 
French  capital  until  after  the  result  of  the  great  battle  should 
be  decided,  and  then  to  continue  his  march  on  Rouen.  Man¬ 
teuffel  detached  a  thousand  men,  who  occupied  Abbeville,  an 
important  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  Somme,  and  another  force 
was  sent  to  Albert.  The  result  of  Trochu’s  great  battle  of  the 
29th  resulted  favorably  to  the  Germans,  and  Manteuffel  aban¬ 
doned  the  idea  of  succoring  the  besieging  army.  On  the  3d, 
Manteuffel  left  Amiens  to  a  small  force,  and  marched  on  Rouen 
with  the  First  and  Eighth  Corps  of  70,000  men,  capturing  eight 
guns  and  occupying  that  town  on  the  8th  of  December  with 
Goeben’ s  corps.  Rouen,  being  at  the  head  of  ship  navigation 
on  the  Seine,  is  an  important  point  for  the  shipment  of  supplies 
by  water  from  Prussian  seaports  to  the  invading  army. 

LUXEMBURG  EXPLAINED. 

To-day  (Dec.  3d)  Bismarck  writes  a  letter  withdrawing  Prus¬ 
sian  neutrality  granted  to  Luxemburg  on  the  17th  of  July  (p. 


LUXEMBOURG  EXPLAINED. 


441 


52),  and  reserving  “the  right  to  claim  compensation  from  the 
Duchy  for  losses  sustained  by  Prussia  on  account  of  Luxem¬ 
burg’s  non-observance  of  her  neutrality.”  Bismarck  claims 
that  the  Luxemburgers  are  responsible  for  the  revictualling  of 
Thionville ;  for  omitting  to  stop  French  refugees,  which,  to  the 
number  of  2000  men  were  assisted  through  the  resident  French 
consul  to  rejoin  the  French  armies.  This  letter  of  the  map¬ 
making  Bismarck  simply  means  that  the  little  garden  spot  of 
Luxemburg,  a  few  miles  north  of  Thionville  and  which  almost 
upset  the  peace  of  Europe  in  1856,  is  to  fall  with  Alsace  and 
Lorraine  into  the  lap  of  Prussia ;  that  treaties,  unless  backed 
by  bayonets,  are  valueless ;  and  that  the  once  sacred  parch¬ 
ments  on  which  were  written  the  treaties  of  Paris  and  of  Lon¬ 
don  have  dwindled  into  cigar-lighters  for  King  William  and  the 
Czar.  This  is  a  digest  of  Luxemburg’s  history:  In  1815 
Belgium  and  Luxemburg  were  placed  under  the  sovereignty  of 
Holland,  and  Luxemburg  was  also  accorded  a  place  in  the  Ger¬ 
manic  Confederation.  Luxemburg  joined  Belgium’s  revolt 
against  Holland  in  1830,  and  was  only  brought  back  to  Hol¬ 
land  and  the  Confederation  in  1839,  when  the  Great  Powers 
united  in  guaranteeing  the  independence  of  the  Duchy.  Thus 
Luxemburg  stood  until  after  Sadowa  in  1866,  when  Bismarck 
and  Napoleon  both  looked  to  its  absorption.  Napoleon  now 
secretly  offered  to  buy  the  Duchy  from  the  King  of  Holland, 
also  Grand  Duke  of  Luxemburg.  The  bankrupt  King  was 
about  receiving  Napoleon’s  gold,  when  the  terrible  Bismarck 
said  no, —  “  Prussia  is  not  in  a  position  to  consent  to  the  sepa¬ 
ration,  under  any  form,  of  Luxemburg  from  Germany,  or  the 
evacuation  of  the  fortress.”  This  resolution  was  modified,  and 
at  the  conference  which  met  in  London,  May  7th,  1867,  all 
parties  —  the  Grand  Duchy,  Prussia,  Austria,  Russia,  England, 
France,  Italy,  Belgium,  and  Holland  —  signed  the  following 
“  treaty  of  London  :  ” 

Art.  i.  Affirms  the  rights  of  the  King  of  Holland. 

Art.  2.  Enacts  that  Luxemburg  shall  be  perpetually  neutral,  under  the  guarantee  of 
Austria,  France,  Great  Britain,  Prussia,  and  Russia. 

Art.  3.  Stipulates  that  the  town  of  Luxemburg  shall  cease  to  be  a  fortified  place. 

Art.  4.  The  King  of  Prussia  agrees  to  withdraw  his  troops. 

Art.  5.  The  King  of  Holland  agrees  to  demolish  the  fortress  of  Luxemburg,  so  far  as 
will  comply  with  the  intention  of  Art.  3. 

Art.  6.  Recognizes  that  the  dissolution  of  the  Germanic  Confederation  **  led  to  a  rup¬ 
ture  of  the  bonds  which  united  the  Duchy  of  Limburg  collectively  with  the  Grand  Duchy 
of  Luxemburg.” 

The  fortress  of  Luxemburg  was  evacuated  by  the  Prussians 
and  razed  in  1867.  Art.  2  of  the  treaty  was  declared  by  Eng¬ 
land  and  Russia  to  be  a  joint  guarantee,  and  not  an  individual 
19* 


4-12 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSIAN  IVAR. 


guarantee  of  neutrality.  The  situation  is  now  changed.  Na¬ 
poleon  is  a  prisoner  at  Wilhelmshohe.  France  is  almost  at  the 
feet  of  the  victorious  Germans,  and  Bismarck  quietly  breaks 
the  treaty  of  London,  keeping  time  to  the  symphony  of  Gort- 
schakoff,  who  shatters  the  treaty  of  Paris.  The  next  move  of 
Bismarck  will  be  to  tempt  the  King  of  Holland  into  “  turning 
an  honest  penny  ”  by  selling  what  he  cannot  defend,  and  whose 
existence  is  only  guaranteed  with  the  power  and  integrity  of 
France.  Austria  is  furious  over  the  atrocious  presumption  of 
Bismarck,  and  England,  not  yet  convalescent  from  the  diplo¬ 
matic  stab  of  Gortschakoff,  dare  not  stand  by  her  contracts  for 
fear  of  setting  a  whole  continent  in  a  blaze,  and  seeks  now  to 
cover  up  the  dishonor  of  two  broken  treaties  in  diplomatic 
smoke. 

How  must  feel  the  blundering  “  nephew  of  his  uncle,  who  in¬ 
tended  in  July  to  push  the  French  boundaries  to  the  Rhine  ”  ? 
In  the  meantime  the  bought-and-sold  Luxemburgers  cry  out  to 
Prince  Henry  of  Orange  and  King  William  of  Holland,  to 
chase  away  the  terrible  Bismarck. 

King  William  wrote  a  letter  to  Prince  Henry  of  Luxemburg 
on  the  ioth  of  January,  advising  the  Luxemburgers  to  be  prud¬ 
ent  and  cautious,  and  asserting  that  Prussia  never  intended  to 
attack  the  independence  of  the  Duchy.  Let  the  world  watch, 
and  see  how  a  King  will  keep  his  word. 

Tuesday,  November  29th.  —  Gen.  Trochu  makes  his  great 
sortie  from  the  south  of  Paris,  towards  Choisy-le-Roy,  with 
Ducrot  south-east  towards  Creteil  and  Mont  Mesly,  and 
Thomas  north  from  St.  Denis.  A  feint  from  Mont  Valerien 
towards  Bezons. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE. 

Gen.  Trochu  waited  in  vain  with  his  unhappy  army  for  the 
hoped-for  assistance  from  Paladines.  The  28th  was  the  day 
which  Gambetta  had  appointed,  and  sent  by  carrier  pigeon 
from  Tours,  as  the  day  when  the  boom  from  Paladines’  guns 
were  to  be  heard  in  Paris.  But  alas  for  Paladines  !  the  Ger¬ 
man  lines  were  not  pierced,  and  the  battle  of  Beaune  threw  his 
army,  defeated,  broken,  and  demoralized,  into  the  arms  of 
Orleans.  The  smoke  was  still  hovering  over  the  battle-fields  of 
Beaune  and  Amiens,  when  Trochu  commenced  the  great  and 
final  sortie  for  the  relief  of  Paris.  The  preparations  of  Gen. 


BATTLE  OF  THE  MARNE. 


443 


Trochu  were  executed  with  deliberate  care,  for  on  this  sortie 
depended  the  fate  of  Paris  and  of  France.  This  gigantic  death- 
struggle  with  the  German  hosts  was  fraught  with  solicitude,  and 
the  eyes  of  a  world  were  turned  toward  the  heroic  endeavors 
of  the  army  of  the  Republic.  Trochu’ s  well-conceived  plan  was 
to  make  feigned  advances  from  Mont  Valerien  (see  map,  pp. 
336  and  340)  towards  Bezons  and  Bougival  on  the  West,  from 
P'ort  Nogent  towards  Mont  Avron  on  the  East,  and  from  St. 
Denis  on  the  North  ;  while  the  great  sortie  was  to  take  place 
on  the  South,  towards  Choisy-le-Roy,  Mont  Mesly,  Bonneuil, 
Champigny,  Villiers,  and  Brie. 

The  First  Army,  General  Thomas,  was  to  hold  Paris  with  the 
National  Guard. 

The  Third  Army,  General  Vinoy,  was  to  make  the  feint  east, 
west,  and  north,  and  towards  Choisy-le-Roy  and  Chevilly 
on  the  south. 

The  Second  Army,  General  Ducrot,  was  to  break  through  the 
Prussian  lines  at  Villiers,  Champigny,  and  Brie. 

THE  COMMENCEMENT. 

The  sharp  ears  of  the  Prussian  sentries  on  Meudon  and 
Chatillon  heights  caught  the  sound  of  French  drum  and  cla¬ 
rion  and  artillery  rumble  at  midnight.  Von  Moltke’s  active 
mind  caught  the  omen,  and  immediately  the  telegraph  to  the 
light  and  to  the  left  warned  the  besieging  army  to  be  on  their 
guard.  Had  Von  Moltke  been  permitted  to  look  into  Paris, 
he  would  have  seen  a  sight  which  would  have  called  the  old 
Emperor  trapper  and  the  King  to  the  front.  The  whole  French 
army  was  moving.  The  ge/ierale  had  been  sounded  at  nine  on 
the  evening  of  the  28th,  and  Paris  was  filled  with  caravans  of 
Mobiles  and  Nationals  and  batteries  of  artillery  moving  through 
the  city  gates. 

All  Paris  seemed  to  spring  into  a  carnival  of  moving  action. 
Newsboys  shouted,  and  in  the  dusky  twilight  the  busy  bill- 
stickers  bulletined  the  government  proclamation  of  advance, 
while  the  people,  full  of  hope,  seized  and  devoured  these  burn¬ 
ing  words  of  Trochu  : 

Citizens  of  Paris,  Soldiers  of  the  National  Guard  and  Army: 
The  policy  of  invasion  and  conquest  means  to  complete  its  work.  It  has 
introduced  into  Europe,  it  pretends  to  establish  in  France,  the  right  of 
brute  force.  Europe  may  submit  in  silence  to  this  insult,  but  France  means 
to  combat  it,  and  our  brethren  call  us  to  go  beyond  our  walls  for  the  last 
struggle,  despite  all  the  blood  spilt,  and  blood  is  going  to  flow  again.  Let 
the  responsibility  be  on  them  whose  detestable  ambition  tramples  under 


444 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


foot  the  laws  of  modem  civilization  and  of  justice.  Putting  our  trust  in 
God,  let  us  march  forward  for  our  country. 

General  Trochu,  Governor  of  Paris. 

The  Government  of  the  National  Defence  fired  the  ardor  of 
the  soldiers  and  quieted  city  discords  in  the  following  address  : 

Citizens  :  The  effort  is  making  which  the  honor  and  the  safety  of  France 
demanded.  You  waited  for  it  with  a  patriotic  impatience,  which  your  mil¬ 
itary  leaders  had  trouble  to  moderate.  As  determined  as  you  to  dislodge  the 
enemy  from  the  lines  in  which  he  is  entrenched,  and  to  hasten  to  meet  your 
brethren  of  the  provinces,  it  was  their  duty  to  prepare  powerful  means  of  at¬ 
tack.  Those  means  are  ready.  Your  leaders  have  begun  the  battle.  Our 
hearts  are  with  them.  All  and  every  one  of  us  are  ready  to  follow  them,  and 
like  them,  to  pour  out  our  blood  for  the  deliverance  of  our  country.  This 
critical  hour,  while  they  are  nobly  exposing  their  lives,  we  owe  to  them  the 
support  of  our  firmness  and  our  civic  virtue.  Whatever  may  be  the  vio¬ 
lence  of  the  emotions  which  agitate  us,  let  11s  have  the  courage  to  keep 
calm.  Whoever  would  foment  the  least  disturbance  in  Paris,  would  betray 
the  cause  of  its  defenders  and  serve  the  cause  of  Prussia.  As  the  army 
cannot  conquer  except  by  discipline,  so  neither  can  we  resist  except  by 
union  and  order.  We  reckon  on  success.  We  shall  not  allow  ourselves 
to  be  depressed  by  any  reverse.  Above  all,  let  us  seek  our  strength  in  the 
unshaken  resolution  to  destroy,  as  a  germ  of  ignominious  death,  every 
ferment  of  civil  discord.  Vive  la  France  !  Vive  la  Republique  ! 

Jules  Favre,  Vice-President  of  the  Government ;  Emmanuel  Arago,  Jules 
Ferry,  Garnier-Pages,  Eugene  Pelletan,  Ernest  Picard,  Jules  Simon,  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Government  ;  General  Le  Flo,  Dorian,  J.  Magnin,  Ministers; 
Andre  Lavertujon,  F.  Herold,  A.  Dreo,  Durier,  Secretaries  of  the  Govern¬ 
ment. 

Fifteen  hundred  guns  about  Paris  had  been  belching  forth  a 
terrific  fire  during  the  previous  day,  and  the  night  had  been 
made  lurid  with  a  thousand  bursting  shells.  It  was  a  chain  of 
fire  around  the  unhappy  capital,  and  the  deep  boom  from  a 
thousand  cannon  sounded  like  the  roar  of  Omnipotence. 

ON  THE  WEST. 

In  the  early  twilight,  on  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the  Jiiger 
outposts  of  Kirchbach,  in  front  of  Versailles,  saw  General  de 
Beaufort,  of  Vino/s  army,  debouching  a  division  of  French¬ 
men  from  behind  Fort  Mont  Valerien,  towards  Bougival  and  the 
heights  of  Malmaison,  on  the  road  to  Versailles ;  while  General 
De  Liniers  pushed  rapidly  forward  a  supporting  division  towards 
Bezon  bridge,  on  the  north-west.  In  both  directions  the 
French  attacked  with  seeming  vigor,  while  the  guns  from  Mont 
Valerien  covered  them  with  a  canopy  of  fire.  Kirchbach  now 
ordered  up  several  Fifth  Corps  field-batteries,  and  a  large  force 
of  line  infantry,  to  support  the  Ja'ger  companies  now  engaged. 
The  Prussians  moved  forward  with  a  stern  resolve,  not  knowing 
but  what  the  whole  French  army  was  in  front,  but  making  no 


LAST  SORTIE  FROM  PARIS. 


445 


response  to  the  belching  storm  of  shot  and  shell  from  the  Seine 
gunboats  and  Mont  Valerien  ;  Kirchbach’s  guns  were  shotted 
with  grape  and  canister,  for  an  anticipated  infantry  assault,  and 
he  was  not  to  be  deceived  by  a  feint.  Beaufort’s  men  made  a 
crude  attempt  to  storm  the  Prussian  works  around  Bougival  and 
Montretout,  but  the  assault  failed  from  lack  of  support,  the 
whole  attack  being  a  feint  to  cover  the  real  attack  of  Ducrot 
and  Vinoy  on  the  south.  After  it  was  thought  that  the  feint 
had  drawn  Von  Moltke’s  attention,  and  called  reinforcements 
from  the  investing  Prussian  corps  on  the  south,  Beaufort  and 
Liniers  marched  back  again  from  Bougival  and  Bezons,  and  de¬ 
bouched  behind  the  guns  of  Mont  Valerien.  During  the  feint, 
the  French  officers  exposed  themselves  to  the  Jager  fire,  and 
many  were  killed  or  wounded  during  the  skirmishing  of  the  day. 

ON  THE  NORTH. 

Admiral  Rondure  had  command  of  the  sortie  to  the  north, 
from  St.  Denis,  towards  Epinay,  Drancy,  and  Le  Bourget.  His 
advance  was  met  by  Alvensleben’s  Fourth  Corps,  and  a  portion 
of  the  Saxon  Guards  under  Prince  Augustus  of  Wiirtemberg. 
The  result  was  a  defeat  of  the  French,  who  lost  several  hundred 
prisoners ;  the  Saxons  losing  twelve  officers  and  one  hundred 
men. 

ON  THE  EAST. 

The  plateau  of  Avron  was  occupied  by  the  marines  of  Ad¬ 
miral  Saisset,  sustained  by  the  divisions  of  D’Hugues  and  a 
numerous  long-range  artillery,  capable  of  menacing  Chelles, 
Neuilly,  Noisy,  Brie,  and  Villiers. 

ducroTs  and  vinoy’s  sortie  on  the  south. 

The  great  sortie  was  made  on  the  south  :  Vinoy  commanded 
the  Right,  towards  Choisy-le-Roy,  Thiais,  L’Hay,  and  Chevilly, 
against  Tumpling’s  Sixth  Prussian  Corps;  while  Ducrot  com¬ 
manded  the  Left,  which  crossed  the  Marne  at  Nogent,  and  at¬ 
tacked  Champigny,  Brie,  and  Villiers.  About  9  o’clock  on  the 
29th,  twenty  battalions  under  Vinoy  marched  from  Villejuif 
and  L’Hay,  and  advanced  upon  the  position  of  Tumpling’s 
Sixth  Corps. 

The  guns  of  a  new  work  at  Villejuif  supported  the  attack  by 
an  incessant  fire,  reaching  mainly  the  right  of  the  Second  Bava¬ 
rian  Corps,  and  inflicting  slight  losses.  The  beginning  of  the 
movement  on  the  part  of  the  French  was  conducted  with  great 
energy,  but  they  speedily  became  discouraged  under  the  sharp 
fire  of  the  besieging  forces,  who  unmasked  field-batteries  which 
immediately  proved  exceedingly  annoying  to  the  French. 


446 


THE  FRANCO-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


Notwithstanding  the  great  exertions  of  their  officers,  the  at¬ 
tacking  battalions  were  thrown  into  disorder.  Their  supports 
failed  to  arrive.  The  affair  was  over  in  two  hours.  The  esti¬ 
mated  German  loss  is  ioo,  of  whom  30  were  Bavarians;  the 
rest  Prussians  of  the  Sixth  Corps.  The  French  loss  was  from 
500  to  600,  including  250  prisoners. 

Vinoy  was  repulsed  by  Tumpling  at  n  o’clock,  who  imme¬ 
diately  telegraphed  the  result : 

A  great  sortie  has  occurred.  Vinoy  moved  out  against  the  Sixth 
Corps  and  the  Wiirtembergers  early  in  the  morning,  supported  by  a  heavy 
cannonade  from  Villejuif.  The  Sixth  Corps  repulsed  the  enemy  at  1 1 
o’clock,  when  they  retired.  Subsequently  Ducrot  attacked  the  Wiirtem- 
bergers  (General  Von  Oberwitz)  near  Mont  Mesly,  at  3  P.  M.  The  Wiir- 
tembergers  had  been  reinforced  by  cavalry  and  artillery,  and  soon  defeated 
the  French.  The  German  losses  were  trifling. 

As  indicated  in  Tumpling’s  dispatch,  Vinoy  attacked  the 
Wiirtembergers  at  Mont  Mesly,  between  the  Seine  and  Marne, 
at  3  p.  m.  The  French  were  soon  repulsed,  and  Von  Oberwitz 
telegraphed  the  result  to  the  King  of  Wiirtemberg : 

“  The  Second  and  Third  Wiirtemberg  Brigades,  with  the  Seventh  Prus¬ 
sian  Brigade,  have  just  defeated  a  sortie  of  the  French  under  Ducrot,  made 
in  the  direction  of  Mont  Mesly.  After  five  hours’  fighting  the  Germans 
took  300  prisoners.  The  German  loss  was  as  follows :  six  officers  killed 
and  34  wounded,  and  700  rank  and  file  killed  and  wounded.” 

While  Vinoy  was  being  repulsed  at  Mont  Mesly,  Ducrot,  with 
the  Third  Army,  crossed  the  Marne  in  front  of  Fort  Nogent,  and 
engaged  the  Saxons  and  Wiirtembergers  at  Champigny,  Villiers, 
and  Brie-sur-Marne.  In  this  engagement,  Ducrot  captured  two 
guns  and  then  retired  from  the  advancing  Saxons  to  the  Marne, 
now  spanned  by  eight  pontoon  bridges.  Prince  George,  who 
commanded  the  Saxons,  reported  that : 

The  French  were  repulsed  and  driven  over  the  heights  between  the  two 
villages,  leaving  behind  hundreds  of  prisoners.  The  French  attacking 
force  numbered  50,000.  The  loss  of  the  Saxons  was  12  officers  and  100 
privates. 

As  Ducrot  and  Vinoy  withdrew,  Fansecki  moved  towards 
Mesly  and  Choisy-le-Roy  with  the  Second  Corps,  to  be  pre¬ 
pared  for  another  sortie.  The  German  troops  were  greatly 
elated  at  the  prospect  of  active  work  ;  the  camps  were  noisy 
with  singing  soldiers,  and  above  the  din  the  bands  echoed  the 
music  cf  war.  King  William  thus  announces  the  day’s  actions  : 

To  the  Queen  :  Versailles,  Nov.  30 th. 

The  Sixth  Corps  yesterday  repulsed  a  sortie  of  the  French  near  L’Hay, 
on  the  south  of  Paris.  Over  100  French  prisoners  were  taken,  and  several 
hundred  dead  and  wounded  were  left  on  the  field.  The  French  also  made 
sorties  on  the  positions  of  the  Wiirtembergers  and  Saxons  at  Bonneuil, 


BATTLE  OF  WEDNESDAY,  NOV.  30. 


447 


Champigny,  and  Villiers,  to  the  east  and  south-east  of  Paris.  The  posi¬ 
tions  were  taken  by  the  French,  but  were  subsequently  retaken  by  the  Prus¬ 
sians.  At  the  same  time  sorties  were  made  at  the  north  and  west,  and  at 
St.  Denis  against  the  Fourth  Corps  and  the  Guards. 

The  French  were  repulsed  and  driven  back  behind  their  works  in  all 
cases.  I  remained  at  Versailles,  as  it  was  the  central  point. 

Wilhelm. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  WEDNESDAY,  Nov.  30  (map,  p.  340). 

The  morning  of  Wednesday,  the  30th,  found  Ducrot  with  his 
army  well  under  cover  of  Fort  Nogent,  and  ready  for  a  furious 
assault.  The  Twelfth  Saxons,  commanded  by  Prince  George, 
occupied  a  curved  line  from  Noisy-le-Grand,  past  Yilliers, 
around  the  curve  in  the  Marne  to  Ormesson,  where  they  joined 
the  Wiirtembergers  commanded  by  Oberwitz,  who  continued  the 
line  in  front  of  Bonneuil,  supported  by  Fansecki’s  Second  Corps. 
Ducrot  held  Brie  and  Champigny  after  yesterday’s  battle.  Brie, 
Villiers,  and  Champigny  form  a  little  triangle,  Villiers  making 
the  projecting  apex,  held  by  the  Saxons.  In  the  morning  the 
Germans  had  decided  to  retake  Champigny  and  Brie,  while 
Ducrot  had  decided  to  advance  his  forces  to  break  the  German 
cordon  and  capture  Villiers. 

As  Ducrot  marched  his  70,000  to  battle  that  morning,  he 
fired  his  soldiers  with  the  following  stirring  words  : 

Soldiers  of  the  Second  Army  of  Paris  :  The  time  has  come  to 
break  the  iron  circle  which  has  cramped  us  too  long,  and  threatens  to  stifle 
us  in  a  slow  and  painful  agony  !  The  honor  has  devolved  upon  you  of  at¬ 
tempting  this  great  work.  I  am  certain  you  will  prove  yourselves  worthy 
of  it.  Its  first  steps,  doubtless,  will  be  difficult.  We  shall  find  implacable 
enemies,  made  audacious  and  confident  by  too  many  successes.  To  prepare 
the  way  for  you,  the  foresight  of  our  Commander-in-Chief  has  collected 
above  four  hundred  cannon,  at  least  two-thirds  of  which  are  of  the  heaviest 
calibre,  which  no  physical  object  can  resist  ;  and  to  dash  into  this  breach 
ye  will  be  above  150,000  men,  all  well  armed,  thoroughly  equipped,  abun¬ 
dantly  supplied  with  munitions,  and,  I  hope,  all  animated  with  an  irresist¬ 
ible  ardor.  Your  success  is  certain  if  ye  be  victorious  in  this  first  period 
of  the  contest,  for  the  enemy  has  sent  to  the  banks  of  Loire  river  his  most 
numerous  and  best  soldiers.  Therefore,  courage  and  confidence  !  Remem¬ 
ber  that  in  this  last  struggle  we  are  fighting  for  our  honor,  for  our  liberty, 
for  the  security  of  our  dear  and  unhappy  country  ;  and  if  this  thought  be  in¬ 
sufficient  to  inflame  your  hearts,  think  of  your  devastated  fields,  your  ruined 
families,  your  sobbing  sisters,  wives,  and  mothers.  May  these  remembrances 
make  you  share  the  thirst  for  vengeance,  the  pent-up  fury  which  animates 
me  and  fills  you  with  contempt  for  danger  !  As  for  myself,  I  am  most  de¬ 
termined.  I  swear  to  it  before  you,  before  the  whole  nation,  to  return  no 
more  to  Paris  except  dead  or  victorious.  Y ou  may  see  me  fall.  You  will 
not  see  me  retreat.  Then  do  not  pause  in  your  onward  march.  Avenge 
me.  Forward,  then  !  Forward  !  May  God  be  our  helper  ! 

A.  Ducrot. 


44S 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


At  daybreak  Ducrot  threw  the  First  Corps  (Blanchard)  and 
the  Second  Corps  (Renault)  across  the  Marne,  between  Join- 
ville  and  Nogent.  Eight  concealed  pontoon  bridges  carried 
the  French  across.  At  nine  o’clock  70,000  Frenchmen  threw 
themselves  upon  the  villages  of  Champigny  and  Villiers  ;  while 
D’Exea,  with  the  Third  Corps,  advanced  across  the  Marne 
in  front  of  Brie-sur-Marne  and  towards  Neuilly.  Bellemare’s 
division  occupied  Brie,  and  united  with  Renault  in  seizing  the 
crest  of  the  height  in  front  of  Villiers.  Ninety  thousand  French¬ 
men  were  now  in  that  little  triangle  of  Brie,  Villiers,  and  Cham¬ 
pigny  not  more  than  a  mile  square.  Fort  Nogent  and  Mont 
Avron  threw  their  shells  thick  and  fast  among  the  advancing 
Germans,  and  they  went  hissing  over  and  through  the  Saxon 
ranks,  causing  a  carnival  of  death  and  destruction.  Outnum¬ 
bered,  the  Saxons  were  swept  back  from  Brie  towards  Noisy, 
while  Blanchard’s  right  stood  and  died  before  the  terrible  Ger¬ 
man  line  at  Champigny.  Now  came  the  terrible  struggle  of  the 
war.  The  Germans  determined  to  take  Champigny,  and  the 
French  determined  upon  the  capture  of  Villiers.  Blanchard’s 
corps  fought  and  lost  in  fearful  numbers  ;  but  the  hundreds  slain 
were  the  price  of  victory  ;  for  the  end  found  the  French  Right  in 
victorious  possession  of  Champigny,  though  subject  to  a  terrible 
shelling  from  the  Prussian  guns  at  Coeuilly  and  Chenevieres. 
Blanchard  now  began  to  entrench  at  Champigny,  when  the  Sax¬ 
ons  made  a  furious  assault  from  Villiers  upon  the  troops  of 
Renault.  Back  and  forth  in  front  of  Villiers  swayed  French 
and  Germans,  each  resolved  on  the  possession  of  the  town. 
From  twelve  till  two  was  a  time  of  terrible  slaughter,  and  the 
terrible  crest  in  front  of  Villiers  was  made  thick  with  the  dead 
and  dying.  Here  General  Renault  fell,  severely  wounded.  The 
impetuous  French  again  and  again  rushed  forward  upon  the 
sullen  Saxons,  who  only  fell  back  or  wavered  to  give  room  for 
reinforcement.  Noon,  twilight,  dusk  came,  but  the  fight  only 
ceased  with  the  darkness.  Night  found  Blanchard  with  his  deci¬ 
mated  corps  in  possession  of  Champigny,  while  the  men  of  the 
wounded  Renault  stood  hopeless  before  the  sturdy  Saxon  wall 
in  front  of  Villiers.  Each  army  had  been  foiled.  Each  had 
advanced  in  the  morning  to  take  a  coveted  position,  and  each 
had  failed  in  everything  but  heroic  endeavors.  On  that  awful 
Wednesday  night  Blanchard  slept  amid  a  thousand  dead  at 
Champigny,  while  the  Saxons  closed  their  eyes  behind  a  wall  of 
dead  and  dying  at  Villiers.  Terrible  were  the  losses  in  this  day’s 
battle.  The  sad  tale  of  Mars-la-Tour  is  but  a  faint  echo  of  the 


BATTLE  OF  THURSDAY,  DECEMBER  i. 


449 


dreadful  shock  of  death  which  came  to  two  armies  in  front  of 
Villiers.  During  the  day  Yinoy  continued  to  make  sorties 
towards  Choisy-le-Roy  and  Thiais,  while  Susbielle  advanced 
beyond  Creteil,  occupying  Mesly  until  evening. 

ON  THE  NORTH. 

Admiral  La  Ronciere  occupied  Drancy  from  Fort  Denis 
while  Ducrot  was  engaged  on  the  south,  and  at  two  o’clock 
the  Admiral  advanced  with  fresh  Paris  troops  against  the  vil¬ 
lage  of  Epinay.  Out  burst  the  French  from  St.  Denis  at 
double  quick,  while  a  gunboat  coming  down  the  stream,  swept 
the  banks  clear  of  German  outposts,  and  landed  a  force  at 
Epinay,  half  surrounding  the  Seventy-first  Prussian  regiment. 

The  French  force  being  overwhelming,  the  Germans  fell 
back,  fighting,  and  evacuated  the  village,  reinforcements  arriv¬ 
ing  near  St.  Gratien.  The  French  then  barricaded  Epinay. 
The  Germans  sent  the  whole  Fifteenth  Brigade  and  the  Seventy- 
first  and  Thirty-first  Regiments  —  altogether  six  battalions  —  to 
retake  the  village.  Advancing  rapidly,  the  French  were  driven 
out.  During  the  two  hours  the  German  lost  was  200  men  and 
13  officers. 

All  day  Fort  Valerien  kept  up  its  dreadful  thunder,  and  St. 
Denis  on  the  north  answered  in  sullen  roar  the  deep-toned 
columbiads  from  Nogent  and  Noisy.  Shells  went  crashing 
into  Argenteuil  and  Bezons.  The  French  lined  the  bank  of 
the  Seine  with  infantry,  while  the  Germans  kept  up  a  faltering 
fire  in  anticipation  of  a  French  attempt  to  restore  the  bridge 
at  Bezons.  The  double-crown  of  the  North  kept  a  stream 
of  shells  pouring  into  Montmagny,  while  Fort  de  l’East  and 
Aubervillers  paid  their  death  compliments  to  Le  Bourget  and 
Drancy. 

Another  demonstration  took  place  in  the  direction  of  Le 
Bourget,  at  a  later  hour.  Dense  columns  of  French  troops 
showed  themselves  on  the  plain  in  front  of  the  fort  of  Auber¬ 
villers,  and  advanced  steadily  towards  Le  Bourget.  But  they 
lost  heart  before  they  got  nearer  than  the  railway  station,  and 
never  came  within  range.  Bourget,  already  pounded  with  shells, 
was  again  bombarded. 

THURSDAY’S  BATTLE  AND  BURIALS. 

While  the  four  days’  battle  is  commencing  against  Paladines 
on  the  south,  both  the  French  and  German  armies  about  Paris 
rest  from  the  terrible  struggle  of  the  previous  day. 


450 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


In  the  sullen  silence  of  an  armistice  both  armies  filled  the 
plain  between  Brie,  Champigny,*  and  Villiers  with  burial  parties. 
The  casualties  among  officers  had  been  great.  The  French 
officers  had  exposed  themselves  to  rally  their  men  ;  but  they 
were  no  more  reckless  of  danger  than  the  Germans.  Thou¬ 
sands  were  buried1  to-day,  and  the  sickening  sight  was  enough 
“to  glut  ambition  for  a  thousand  years.”  Yesterday  it  was 
poetry  —  to-day  among  the  harvest  of  death  it  is  prose  indeed. 

In  German  council  of  war,  Von  Moltke  decided  that  Brie 
and  Champigny  must  be  retaken  in  the  morning — that  this 
was  essential  to  the  success  of  the  Paris  investment.  Little  do 
the  thousands  of  living  know  that  death  awaits  them  in  the 
last  struggle  of  the  giants  to-morrow. 

FRIDAY’S  BATTLE  (DECEMBER  2). 

If  Wednesday’s  battle  was  the  Mars-la-Tour  of  Paris,  Friday’s 
struggle  was  the  Gravelotte.  The  Saxons  and  Wiirtembergers 
at  mid-day  left  Trochu  as  closely  besieged  in  Paris  as  was  Ba- 
zaine  in  Metz  by  the  hermetical  sealing  of  Prince  Charles  and 
Steinmetz.  The  battle-ground  was  in  the  old  triangle  between 
Brie,  Villiers,  and  Champigny.  When  the  curtain  fell  at  the 
end  of  the  bloody  drama  of  Wednesday,  the  Saxons  stood  fast  in 
Villiers  in  spite  of  all  the  French  troops  and  forts  could  do  to 
dislodge  them,  and  as  firmly  in  the  grasp  of  the  French  were 
Brie  and  Champigny,  under  the  guns  of  Fort  Nogent. 

THE  FIELD  OF  BATTLE. 

On  the  road  that  passes  through  Noisy,  the  south  bank  of 
of  the  Marne  is  low,  with  a  gradual  rise,  furrowed  by  inconsid¬ 
erable  rectangular  depressions.  From  Noisy  to  the  southward, 
toward  Brie  and  athwart  the  thick  part  of  the  curve  of  the  Marne, 
is  a  broad,  flat  space,  offering  a  favorable  scope  for  military  ev¬ 
olutions.  From  this  plain  toward  Villiers  there  rises  gradually 
a  low  but  shaggy  elevation,  covered  chiefly  with  copse-woods 
and  vineyards.  This  elevation  is  not  continuous  to  Villiers. 
There  are  occasional  depressions,  debouchments  of  which  cause 
the  trivial  hollows  that  occur  on  the  road  to  Noisy.  The  general 
tendency  is,  nevertheless,  upward,  so  that  the  tableland  at  the 
back  of  which  Villiers  lies  is  higher  than  any  ground  between 
it  and  the  plain.  The  ridge,  therefore,  though  hampered  by 
hedges  and  brushwood,  would  fotm  no  bad  position  for  resist¬ 
ance  to  a  force  which,  having  deployed  on  the  plain,  should 
attempt  to  carry  it,  if  it  were  not  swept  by  the  direct  fire  from 
Fort  Nogent  at  easy  range,  and  enfiladed  at  longer  range,  but 
still  effectively,  by  batteries  on  Mont  Avron. 


BATTLE  OF  FRIDAY, ,  DECEMBER  2. 


451 


Brie  divided  with  Noisy  the  attentions  of  the  French  batter¬ 
ies,  and  Brie  is  more  open  to  attack.  The  107th  Regiment 
had  made  a  dash  into  Brie  out  of  Rosny  early  in  the  morning. 
Could  they  hold  the  place  under  such  ding-dong  pelting  ?  By 
10  o’clock  the  question  was  resolved.  First  came  a  drove  of 
French  prisoners,  red-breeched  regulars,  up  toward  Noisy, 
along  the  slight  shelter  afforded  by  the  road ;  then  Saxon  sol¬ 
diers  and  more  prisoners;  and  finally  the  bulk  of  the  107th,  in 
very  open  order,  making  the  most  of  the  few  opportunities  for 
cover.  The  107th,  in  a  rapid  rush  in  the  morning,  had  sur¬ 
prised  the  occupants  of  Brie,  some  asleep,  others  drinking  coffee. 
There  was  a  trifling  resistance.  Nearly  500  prisoners  were 
taken,  including  eight  officers.  The  prisoners  looked  like  sturdy 
fellows,  anything  but  ill-fed.  They  were  hearty,  and  good  to 
fight.  Said  a  sergeant  cheerily,  “  If  any  one  indulges  in  the  antici¬ 
pation  of  the  speedy  capitulation  of  Paris,  he  is  extremely  out 
in  his  reckoning ;  food  is  plentiful.”  He  said  with  a  laugh, 
“  The  programme  is  sorties  every  day,  in  every  direction.” 
The  prisoners  were  escorted  back  to  Chelles. 

The  reason  for  the  Germans  relinquishing  Brie  was  that  the 
terrible  persistent  fire  from  the  forts  rendered  it  utterly  unten¬ 
able.  What  this  advantage  represented  was  simply  that  Brie 
gave  the  French  a  footing,  so  to  speak,  on  the  Saxon  main¬ 
land,  while  Champigny  formed  a  key  to  the  peninsula  of  the 
Marne.  The  object  of  the  day  on  the  side  of  the  Germans 
was  to  dislodge  the  French  from  Brie  and  Champigny.  This 
task  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  Saxons,  Wurtembergers,  and  a  brigade 
of  the  Second  Corps. 

As  the  French  prisoners  filed  in  from  Brie,  a  dense  column 
of  French  infantry  reinforcements,  which  had  been  bivouacked 
under  the  wings  of  Fort  Nogent,  appeared  in  view.  The  spec¬ 
tacle  sprang  up  by  magic.  Right  and  left,  across  the  railway, 
they  formed,  covered  by  the  south  guns  of  Nogent.  Now  they 
stood  fast,  closing  up  as  the  fronts  of  battalions  halted.  Then 
there  was  a  slow  movement  forward  as  the  head  of  the  column 
dipped  out  of  sight  between  the  village  of  Nogent  and  the  river. 
Then  there  seemed  to  be  a  final  halt.  The  dense  masses  stood, 
their  bayonets  glittering  in  the  sun,  as  if  the  men  had  come  out 
for  a  spectacle.  Presently  the  dense  mass  began  to  move 
towards  the  river,  in  the  direction  of  Brie.  The  river  passed, 
simultaneously  the  whole  caravan  sprang  into  life,  and  the 
plains  south  of  Brie  swarmed  with  an  army.  Suddenly  another 
army  deployed  at  double-quick  from  St.  Maur,  behind  Cham- 


452 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


pigny,  and  both  armies  made  a  wall  of  men  across  the  neck  of 
the  loop  of  the  river.  From  Champigny,  at  8  o’clock,  the  Wiir- 
tembergers  had  driven  the  French  after  a  desperate  fight,  only  to 
be  repulsed  in  turn  by  the  serried  columns  of  another  overpower¬ 
ing  army.  Back,  pell-mell,  fled  the  Wiirtemberg  sharpshooters, 
and  Champigny  was  again  in  the  hands  of  the  French.  The 
impetuous  red  breeches  did  not  stop  here,  but  on  they  swept  at 
double-quick  to  the  front  of  Villiers,  the  objective  point  of  the 
day’s  attack.  Forty  thousand  Frenchmen  came  with  a  shock 
against  Von  Obernetz  and  his  2000  Wiitembergers  at  Villiers, 
while  5000  French  held  Champigny.  On  the  French  left, 
another  column  of  20,000  assaulted  the  Saxons  under  Prince 
George  at  Brie,  while  Nogent  rained  a  storm  of  projectiles  over 
the  head  of  Villiers,  and  into  the  advancing  Germans  behind. 
The  French  skirmishers  were  thrown  out  with  as  much  regu¬ 
larity  as  if  the  day’s  work  had  been  but  a  peaceful  parade. 
The  Germans  were  surprised  at  the  magnitude  of  the  French 
evolutions,  and  soon  made  up  their  minds  that  Ducrot  intended 
not  only  to  capture  Villiers,  but  to  sweep  on  to  Noisy.  Prep¬ 
aration  was  made  to  meet  Ducrot  in  the  open  space  between 
Villiers  and  Noisy.  On  came  the  French.  From  behind  Vil¬ 
liers  several  German  regiments  came  out  to  the  right  of  the 
brow  of  the  hill  under  the  shell  fire.  As  the  French  came  up 
the  gentle  acclivity,  the  guns  of  the  forts  continued  playing  with¬ 
out  interruption.  So  narrow  was  the  margin  between  the  com¬ 
batants,  that  shells  fell  into  the  French  ranks.  Ten  thousand 
Saxons  now  opened  the  terrible  assault.  It  was  sharp  and 
bloody.  The  affair  of  Spicheren  could  not  have  been  quicker 
or  bloodier.  In  front  of  the  One  Hundred  and  Eighth  Prussian 
regiment,  two  lieutenants  shook  hands  with  a  hussar  aid-de- 
camp,  who  brought  the  order  to  advance,  and  then  swept  for¬ 
ward  with  their  commands.  On  went  divisions,  brigades,  and 
regiments.  French  shells  went  crashing  through  the  dense 
columns  of  the  advancing  companies. 

Now  the  battle-line  forms  —  rear  files  close  up  at  double- 
quick,  and  in  a  twinkling,  through  the  fifty  yards  of  space,  flies 
a  storm  of  bullets.  Now  comes  the  firing  by  volley  —  then 
sharp  firing  by  file.  So  close  are  the  combatants  that  the  field 
becomes  a  field  of  horrible  slaughter.  The  Saxons  had  fought 
at  Sedan,  and  the  leaden  hail  had  no  terrors  for  them.  De¬ 
cimated,  but  not  defeated,  the  brave  French  broke  and  gave 
ground,  only  to  get  back  to  the  next  dip  of  the  ground,  to  let 
the  guns  of  the  fort  go  to  work  again.  The  Saxons  had  to  find 


WEDNESDAY,  NOVEMBER  2. 


453 


what  cover  they  might.  They  fought  on  after  the  French  with 
the  bravery  of  veterans.  What  soldier  thought  of  the  rear  in 
the  battles  of  the  Wilderness?  As  all  thought  of  the  rear  ended 
at  Gettysburg,  so  it  ended  with  the  Germans  at  Gravelotte. 
The  belching  shells  from  Nogent  put  a  stop  to  the  Saxon 
advance. 

When  the  regiments  came  back  —  they  had  not  been  gone 
twenty  minutes  —  thirty-five  officers  out  of  the  forty-five  had 
gone  down.  Neither  of  the  blithe  lieutenants  were  to  the  fore. 
Now  there  came  a  lull  in  the  musketry  fire,  as  a  few  moments 
before  there  had  been  a  lull  in  the  cannon.  The  Saxons  could 
not  get  their  artillery  into  action  with  advantage.  The  ground 
itself  was  unfavorable,  while  the  fire  from  the  forts  speedily 
silenced  their  field  guns ;  therefore  this  great  advantage  was 
lost  to  them. 

THE  LAST  STRUGGLE. 

All  this  took  place  before  noon.  After  a  little  time  the 
artillery  fire  from  the  forts  slackened  considerably.  The 
French  infantry  made  no  demonstration. 

On  the  German  left  about  Champigny,  General  Vinoy  was 
engaged  with  the  Wurtembergers,  who,  supported  by  Fansecki’s 
Second  Prussian  Corps,  repulsed  every  French  advance.  Fan- 
secki  had  command  of  the  German  left,  while  Prince  George 
led  the  Saxons  on  the  right. 

About  one  o’clock  the  French  made  another  advance,  having 
received  considerable  reinforcements.  This  onslaught  swayed 
the  Saxons  a  little,  and  crouching  back  for  a  forward  spring, 
Trochu  thought  he  was  on  the  eve  of  victory,  and  immediately 
telegraphed  to  Paris  : 

Battle-field,  1.45  p.m. —  The  Prussians  with  enormous  forces  attacked 
the  French  position  at  daybreak  to-day.  The  fighting  has  lasted  more  than 
seven  hours,  and  at  the  moment  of  sending  off  this  report  the  enemy  is  giv¬ 
ing  way  along  the  whole  line  and  once  more  abandoning  the  heights.  I 
have  ridden  along  the  line  of  skirmishers  from  Champigny  to  Brie,  and  have 
been  received  with  enthusiastic  cheers  by  the  troops.  I  expect  that  the 
enemy  will  return  to  the  attack,  and  that  the  battle  will  last  all  day. 

The  Saxons  now  sprang  forward  upon  the  French  with  a  new 
vim,  but  a  different  policy  was  this  time  adopted.  It  was  plain 
that  the  only  escape  from  the  thunderbolts  of  the  forts  lay  in 
getting  at  close  quarters  with  the  French  infantry  —  unless,  in¬ 
deed,  a  retrograde  movement  was  to  be  made,  and  that  was  not 
to  be  thought  of.  So  when  the  French  fell  back,  the  Saxons 
followed  on,  as  if  they  would  settle  the  question  with  the  bay- 


454 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


onet’s  point.  It  was  the  old  cry,  “  Vorwarts,  immer  vorwarts  ;  ” 
but  the  vorwarts  was  very  slow. 

For  the  next  hour  it  was  a  sullen  fight  all  along  the  line. 
Both  sides  were  decimated,  and  it  was  only  a  question  of  dog¬ 
ged  grit.  Germans  tenacity  prevailed,  while  from  Fort  Nogent, 
across  the  Marne,  at  5.30  p.  m,.  Trochu  thus  announced  the 
French  defeat : 

The  second  great  battle  which  I  expected  has  been  more  decisive  than 
its  predecessor.  The  enemy  attacked  us  at  the  reveille  with  fresh  troops 
and  reserves.  We  have  fought  three  hours  to  maintain  our  position,  and 
five  hours  to  carry  the  positions  of  the  enemy. 

While  the  forts  continued  a  furious  cannonade  into  Cham- 
pigny  and  Villers,  the  French  slowly  and  stubbornly  fell  back 
across  the  north  side  of  the  neck  of  land,  the  Saxons  pushing 
them  hard.  Now  and  then,  as  if  exasperated  at  fate,  the 
French  rallied  only  to  meet  the  same  steady  fire.  On  this  por¬ 
tion  of  the  plain,  south  of  Brie,  there  was  a  prolonged  struggle. 
The  Saxons  were  striving  to  get  at  and  cut  the  pontoon  bridge  ; 
but  this  became  an  impossibility,  when  Fort  Nogent  went  to 
work  again  with  the  frightful  accuracy  of  which  the  short  range 
admitted.  The  combatants  parted  about  3  o’clock,  both  sides 
falling  back.  The  fire  of  the  fort  continued  some  little  time 
longer. 

THE  END - LOSSES. 

What  is  to  be  said  of  results  ?  Not  much  have  the  Saxons 
gained.  Was  there  much  to  gain  ?  The  Wiirtembergers  hold 
one  end  of  Champigny.  Brie  stands  empty  and  desolate ; 
there  were  French  in  it  this  morning;  later,  there  were  Saxons. 
That  is  all.  But  look  at  the  bloody  side  of  the  picture. 

The  losses  of  the  Germans  during  Wednesday’s  and  Friday’s 
battles  were  6500,  as  follows  :  The  Saxons,  2000  ;  the  Second 
Corps,  2800;  the  Wiirtembergers,  1700. 

The  French  losses  during  the  three  days’  fighting  were  thus 
reported  by  General  Schmitz,  General  Trochu’s  chief  of  staff: 

, - Officers. - ,  , - Soldiers. - . 


Second  Army . 

Third  Army .  • . . 

Corps  d’Arm6e  of  St.  Denis . 

Killed.  Wounded.  Killed.  Wounded. 

Total . 

'42 

936  4,680 

Officers . 

Soldiers . 

ABSTRACT. 

Killed. 

Wounded. 

342 

4,680 

Total . 

5,022 

Four  regiments  of  the  Saxon  forces, 

the  104  th 

,  106th,  107th, 

MONDAY,  DECEMBER  5. 


455 


and  108th,  lost  15  officers  killed  and  63  wounded.  The  total 
number  of  French  prisoners  taken  was  about  3000. 

The  total  loss  sustained  by  the  Wiirtemberg  troops  in  the 
battle  of  the  2d  inst.  is  officially  reported  to  be  848  killed  and 
wounded. 

Had  it  been  possible  for  the  Saxons  to  hold  Brie,  the  French 
advance  would  have  been  impossible ;  its  flanking  fire  would 
have  prohibited  breasting  the  slope  toward  Villiers. 

At  five,  all  was  quiet  except  the  sullen  roar  of  the  big  guns 
from  Fort  Nogent.  Brie  was  abandoned  by  both  sides,  the 
German  line  remained  everywhere  unbroken,  and  the  French 
behind  a  wall  of  sturdy  Saxons,  are  hermetically  sealed  in  Paris. 
The  official  report  of  Trochu  says: 

Thursday  was  passed  in  burying  the  dead  and  succoring  the  wounded. 
On  Friday  morning  the  Prussians  attacked  with  great  impetuosity  the 
French  at  Champigny  and  in  front  of  Villiers.  After  seven  hours’  fighting 
the  enemy  failed  to  carry  the  positions  of  the  French,  and  retreated,  leaving 
their  dead  and  wounded  on  the  field.  Their  losses  were  from  15,000  to 
20,000.  On  Saturday  the  French  recrossed  the  Marne  and  took  up  posi¬ 
tions.  The  enemy  made  no  attempt  to  resist  them. 

General  Ducrot  greatly  distinguished  himself  in  the  battle  of  Friday. 
Among  the  killed  is  General  Lacharier,  and  General  Renault  was  badly 
wounded. 

After  recrossing  the  Marne  to  the  cover  of  the  guns  of 
Nogent,  General  Trochu  issued  the  following  address  to  his 
army : 

Soldiers  !  —  After  two  days  of  glorious  battles,  you  have  recrossed  the 
Marne,  having  found  that  your  efforts  were  fruitless.  When  the  enemy  has 
not  time  to  concentrate,  or  to  prepare  to  continue  the  vain  sacrifice  of  life, 
let  us  renew  the  contest  with  increased  animation,  and  raise  our  hearts  to 
the  level  of  the  sacrifice  demanded  by  the  holy  cause,  for  which  we  must  not 
hesitate  to  sacrifice  our  lives. 

Prince  George,  commanding  the  Saxons,  telegraphs  the  King 
of  Saxony  : 

“  The  enemy  has  retired  behind  the  Marne,  and  other  offen¬ 
sive  operations  on  the  part  of  the  French  are  impossible.  The 
total  loss  of  the  Saxons  in  the  late  engagements  is  —  officers, 
76;  rank  and  file,  2100.” 

THE  END  OF  THE  SORTIE. 

The  Queen  :  Versailles,  Dec.  4. 

There  was  no  fighting  of  moment  yesterday  at  Paris.  The  French  are 
massing  troops  from  Vincennes.  During  the  fight  of  December  2d,  the 
French  lost  1800  prisoners,  including  one  general  and  20  superior  officers; 
also,  seven  guns.  Wilhelm. 

Monday,  December  5.  —  Bourbaki  and  Chanzy  falling  back 


456 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


before  Prince  Charles  and  Mecklenburg.  Von  Moltke  announ¬ 
ces  the  defeat  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire  to  General  Trochu. 


VON  MOLTKE  TO  TROCHU. 

The  defeat  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire  brought  the  following 
Chesterfieldian  note  from  Von  Moltke  to  General  Trochu  : 

Versailles,  Dec.  5. 

It  may  be  useful  to  inform  your  Excellency,  that  the  Army  of  the  Loire 
Was  defeated  near  Orleans  yesterday,  and  that  that  town  is  re-occupied  by 
the  German  troops.  Should,  however,  your  Excellency  deem  it  expedient 
to  be  convinced  of  the  fact  through  one  of  your  own  officers,  I  will  not 
fail  to  provide  him  with  a  safe-conduct  to  come  and  return.  Receive, 
General,  the  expression  of  the  high  considerations  with  which  I  have  the 
honor  to  be,  your  very  humble  and  obedient  servant. 

The  Chief  of  the  Staff,  Count  Moltke. 

General  Trochu,  Governor  of  Paris. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  courteous  note,  several  of  the  Paris 
authorities  were  disposed  to  surrender,  but  the  opinion  of 
Trochu  prevailed,  and  the  Governor  promptly  answered  : 

Paris,  Dec.  6. 

Your  Excellency  thought  it  might  be  useful  to  inform  me  that  the  Army 
of  the  Loire  was  defeated  near  Orleans,  and  that  that  town  is  re-occupied 
by  German  troops. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  that  communication, 
which  I  do  not  think  it  expedient  to  verify  through  the  means  which  your 
Excellency  suggests  to  me.  Receive,  General,  the  expression  of  the  high 
consideration  with  which  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  your  very  humble  and 
very  obedient  servant. 

The  Governor  of  Paris,  General  Trochu. 

To  Count  Von  Moltke. 


TOTAL  LOSSES. 


The  losses  by  death  in  battle  are  always  less  than  estimated  on  the  field. 
When  a  regiment  of  one  thousand  men  loses  fifty  in  killed,  the  regiment  is 
too  demoralized  and  “cut  up”  to  go  into  action  without  reformation. 
Fifty  killed  in  the  American  army  meant  200  wounded  and  300  demora¬ 
lized  and  frightened.  The  entire  German  losses  up  to  this  time,  with  the 
exception  of  the  recent  killed  in  the  Wiirtemberg  and  First  and  Second 
Bavarian  Corps,  are  as  follows : 

Killed  and 
Wounded.  Missing;. 


Generals .  12 

Staff  Officers .  206 

Subalterns .  2,691 

Ensigns . 9°9 

Sergeants,  &c .  5*384 

Surgeons,  &c .  100 

Rank,  and  file .  53*54* 


25 

i5 

198 

5 

6,858 


This  gives  a  total  loss  of  2,935  officers  and  67,012  men  for  the  twelve  Prussian  army 
corps,  the  landwehr,  and  the  Baden  division. 


WEDNESDA  V,  DECEMBER  7. 


457 


Wednesday,  December  7. —  Mecklenburg  defeats  the  French 
at  Chambord  with  the  Twenty-second  Division,  while  the  Bavari¬ 
ans  skirmish  to  the  west  of  Meung,  capturing  260  prisoners  and 
a  mitrailleuse.  Prince  Charles’  Third  Corps  defeats  Bourbaki’s 
rear-guard  south  of  Gien. 

CHANZY  —  MECKLENBURG. 

After  the  evacuation  of  Orleans  on  the  4th,  Mecklenburg 
continued  to  push  General  Chanzy  towards  Tours,  while  Prince 
Charles  dispatched  the  Third  Corps  after  the  retreating  army  of 
Bourbaki  at  Bourges.  Every  day  Chanzy  gave  battle,  but  every 
night  his  army  bivouacked  nearer  Blois  and  Tours.  On  the 
7th,  the  Seventeenth  Division  engaged  Chanzy  west  of  Meung, 
in  a  severe  encounter,  of  which  King  William  says  : 

To  the  Queen  :  Versailles,  Dec.  8. 

There  was  severe  and  successful  fighting  yesterday  near  Meung.  More 
resistance  is  expected  there.  One  gun,  several  mitrailleuses,  and  260  pris¬ 
oners  were  taken.  The  sanitary  condition  of  the  army  in  the  field  has  taken 
a  very  favorable  turn. 

This  fight  was  by  the  Seventeenth  Division,  supported  by  the 
First  Bavarians.  At  the  same  time,  the  Ninth  Corps  of  Prince 
Charles’  army  marched  towards  Chanzy’ s  rear  from  the  pur¬ 
suit  of  Bourbaki  on  the  south,  and  captured  Chateau  Cham¬ 
bord,  nine  miles  from  Blois. 

Chambord  was  prepared  for  defence,  and  held  by  600  French¬ 
men  of  the  Fifteenth  Corps,  but  instead  of  a  fortress  it  proved 
a  trap.  So  bad  were  the  dispositions  of  the  French  commander, 
that  the  Germans  completely  surprised  the  place,  and  captured 
the  greater  part  of  the  men.  Approaching  the  place  at  dusk, 
the  Ninth  Corps,  operating  on  the  south  of  the  Loire,  drove 
before  them  a  batch  of  prisoners,  and  the  deception  was  so 
effective,  that  the  Germans  reached  a  striking  point  before  a 
shot  was  fired. 

The  only  brave  act  on  the  part  of  the  French  was  done  by  a 
Mobile,  who  shouted  to  the  sentinels,  “  We  are  prisoners. 
The  German  devils  are  behind.”  He  lost  his  life.  His  warn¬ 
ing  was  too  late.  Having  thus  readily  gained  the  Chateau 
Chambord,  Manstein  was  in  possession  of  a  sort  of  back  en¬ 
trance  to  Blois,  where  his  appearance  was  expected  hourly. 

Opposite  Blois,  on  the  south  side  of  the  Loire,  the  little  se.be.  b 


20 


458 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


of  Vienne  is  connected  with  the  city  by  a  splendid  stone  bridge. 
A  portion  of  the  French  troops  and  artillery  had  been  fight¬ 
ing  on  the  south  side.  They  passed  over  the  bridge  on  Friday 
night,  and  the  engineers  immediately  commenced  destroying 
one  of  the  arches,  but  did  not  finish  its  destruction.  Crowds 
gathered  to  witness  and  to  bewail  this  operation.  They  abused 
the  soldiers  without  stint.  In  fact,  all  the  people  of  Blois 
seemed  to  care  for  was  the  bridge.  Meantime  thousands  of 
half-clad  soldiers  stood  shivering  in  the  streets,  while  other 
thousands,  all  wounded,  were  being  carried  to  the  railroad 
station,  where  desperately  working  locomotives  strove  to  con¬ 
vey  them  beyond  reach  of  the  Prussians. 

Friday,  Dec.  9. — The  Tours  Government  moves  to  Bor¬ 
deaux.  Gambetta  goes  to  Blois.  Continued  fighting  around 
Beaugency  and  Blois.  King  William  accepts  the  title  of  Em¬ 
peror  Frederick  William  I.  of  Germany. 

BATTLE  OF  BEAUGENCY. 

On  Friday  evening  the  bridge  south  of  Blois  was  cut,  and  the 
French  forces,  consisting  of  Pallieres’  Fifteenth  Corps  and  the 
newly  organized  Twenty-first  Corps,  leaving  a  force  in  Blois, 
moved  northward  towards  Beaugency,  occupied  by  the  worn- 
out  forces  of  Mecklenburg.  Chanzy,  who  had  been  fighting  all 
the  day  before  near  Beaugency,  was  still  engaged  in  a  terrific 
encounter  with  the  Grand  Duke,  supported  by  Voigts  Rhetz 
from  Orleans,  and  a  part  of  Manstein’s  forces  from  Blois.  This 
was  the  last  bloody  fight  of  Chanzy  during  his  retreat  upon  Le 
Mans,  and  the  Germans  were  left  so  crippled  that  he  was  al¬ 
lowed  to  continue  his  retreat  almost  unmolested.  It  was  here 
that  the  Bavarians  first  began  to  break,  and  show  that  demor¬ 
alization  which  ultimately  compelled  Mecklenburg  to  retire 
towards  Paris.  Voigts  Rhetz  did  not  arrive  from  Orleans  in 
time  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  the  8th,  but  the  moral  force 
of  his  presence  prevented  a  demoralized  retreat  on  the  part  of 
Mecklenburg  on  the  succeeding  day.  Chanzy  thus  reports  the 
battle  of  Beaugency  : 

We  were  attacked  all  along  the  lines,  from  Meung  to  St.  Laurent,  last 
night  (8th).  To-day  the  principal  effort  of  the  evening  was  at  Beaugency. 
The  Germans  were  very  strong  at  that  place,  having  no  less  than  eighty-six 
cannon.  Their  forces  consisted  of  two  divisions  of  Bavarians,  one  division 
of  Prussians,  2000  cavalry,  and  strong  reserves.  They  were  under  the 
command  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles  and  the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg.  We 


SATURDAY, ,  DECEMBER  io. 


459 


sleep  to-night  on  the  positions  we  had  this  morning.  The  prisoners  taken 
acknowledge  that  the  Prussians  suffered  heavy  losses.  The  battle  lasted  till 
night.  I  have  not  yet  received  a  complete  list  of  our  losses.  We  may  be 
attacked  again  to-morrow,  but  we  are  prepared  to  resist  to  the  utmost. 
Three  French  corps  were  engaged. 

Saturday,  December  io. — On  the  morning  of  the  ioth, 
Gambetta  arrived  at  Blois  from  Tours.  The  War  Minister 
ordered  Chanzy  to  make  another  attack  on  Mecklenburg,  and 
the  Bavarians  were  startled  on  being  attacked  by  an  enemy 
whom  they  supposed  to  be  on  the  retreat.  It  was  the  death- 
struggle  of  the  worn-out  armies,  but  the  Tenth  Corps  soon 
came  to  the  relief  of  Mecklenburg,  by  threatening  the  French 
right  towards  Blois.  The  battle  ended  in  Chanzy’s  falling  back 
towards  Blois.  Though  Mecklenburg  was  not  defeated,  he 
had  not  the  heart  nor  power  to  vigorously  pursue  the  French. 
Both  sides  claimed  the  victory,  and  Mecklenburg  wrote  : 

The  enemy  violently  attacked  us  to-day,  but  were  victoriously  repulsed 
by  the  Seventeenth  and  Twenty-second  Divisions,  notwithstanding  the 
superiority  of  his  officers.  Our  losses  were  smaller  than  yesterday.  Beau- 
gency  was  occupied  on  the  8th  inst.,  and  Vierzon  to-day. 

At  noon  the  Fifteenth  French  Corps,  which  had  been  fighting 
the  Ninth  Corps  on  the  south  side  of  the  Loire,  commenced  re¬ 
tiring  over  the  river,  and  through  Blois,  to  the  north.  The  river 
here  is  about  the  size  of  the  Hudson  at  Albany.  In  spite  of  the 
protests  of  the  citizens  at  Blois,  the  splendid  bridge  was  blown 
up,  and  the  French  defied  the  advancing  Germans  who  were 
in  seemingly  harmless  positions  on  the  south  side  of  the  river. 
Though  almost  defeated  themselves,  the  Bavarians  again  took 
heart  when  they  saw  the  French  retreating,  and  soon  the  muz¬ 
zles  of  Manstein’s  cannons  frowned  down  on  Blois  from  the 
German  camp.  Boom  went  the  Ninth  Corps’  guns,  and  smash, 
crash  went  the  piercing  shells  into  the  belfry,  and  through  the 
spire  of  the  magnificent  Blois  Cathedral.  Now  the  shells  go 
bursting  over  and  into  the  Blois  barracks,  situated  on  the  ele¬ 
vated  point  to  the  north  of  the  city.  The  trembling  citizens 
begged  to  surrender  the  town,  for  Manstein  was  now  in  front 
of  the  suburb  of  Vienne,  blazing  away  at  anything  like  a  French 
uniform,  utterly  regardless  of  the  city  and  its  beautiful  buildings. 
The  Mayor  had  held  up  the  white  Hag  of  surrender,  when  Gam¬ 
betta,  covered  with  dust,  arrived  from  Chanzy’s  headquarters 
outside  of  the  city.  The  one-eyed  Minister  immediately  broke 
up  the  programme  of  surrender.  The  Prussians  now  saw  that 
only  the  gap  in  the  bridge  prevented  their  advance  into  Blois, 
and  they  sent  word  to  the  Mayor,  giving  him  twenty  minutes  in 


4G0 


THE  FRANC  O-FR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


which  to  make  the  bridge  passable.  The  cut  in  the  bridge  was 
but  thirty  feet  wide,  and  there  was  plenty  of  timber  at  hand 
long  enough  to  span  it.  Had  the  answer  been  left  to  the 
Mayor,  the  Prussians  would  have  entered  Blois  the  same 
night. 

But  Gambetta  had  no  idea  of  surrender,  and  crash  went  the 
French  answer  over  amongst  the  Germans.  It  was  not  “yes” 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Mayor,  but  “  no  ”  from  the  mouth  of  a 
cannon,  and  a  terrible  “  no,”  cast  in  the  foundry  at  Toulouse. 
The  next  day  Gambetta  returned  to  Tours,  and  telegraphed  to 
the  Government  at  Bordeaux  : 

“I  have  returned  to  Tours,  having  left  General  Chanzy  yesterday  contin¬ 
uing  his  efforts  to  successfully  defend  the  line  of  the  Loire.  I  think  the 
situation  so  good  that  I  may  go  to  Bourges  to  see  what  can  be  done  with 
the  Second  Army.” 

The  next  day  the  whole  Army  of  the  Loire  retire  northward, 
when  Voigts  Rhetz  occupied  Blois,  capturing  a  large  amount 
of  provisions,  and  several  hundred  straggling  deserters,  while 
Gambetta  posted  off  to  Bourges  to  re-organize  Bourbaki’s 
army. 

BORDEAUX. 

Bordeaux,  the  present  seat  of  the  Republican  government,  is 
a  charming  city,  full  of  cultivation  and  art,  and  is  the  second 
seaport  town  in  France.  The  river  is  wide  at  its  mouth,  the 
quay  three  miles  long,  and  lined  with  beautiful  buildings.  It  is 
the  seat  of  the  national  court,  of  a  university,  and  an  academy. 
The  city  is  in  communication  with  the  Mediterranean  by  the  river 
Garonne  and  Canal  du  Midi.  Its  exports  are  wine,  brandies, 
and  fruits,  and  chemical  products.  Two  hundred  thousand  hogs¬ 
heads  of  wine  —  Medoc,  Chateau  Lafitte,  Chateau  Margeaux, 
and  other  brands  of  claret  and  Burgundy  —  are  exported  annu¬ 
ally  to  the  United  States.  Among  the  most  remarkable  public 
edifices  of  Bordeaux  are  the  remains  of  the  palace  of  the  Roman 
Phnperor  Gallinus,  a  circle  capable  of  holding  15,000  people, 
the  Cathedral  of  St.  Andre,  and  the  Church  of  the  Feuillants, 
which  contains  the  tomb  of  Montaigne.  The  city  is  fanned  by 
delightful  sea-breezes,  and  to  the  tourist  is  one  of  the  most 
charming  spots  of  Europe. 

Tuesday,  December  13.  —  The  fortress  of  Pfalzburg,  the 
stronghold  of  the  Vosges,  surrenders  with  52  officers,  1800 
men,  and  63  guns.  Bourbaki  marches  eastward  against  Werder 
at  Dole  and  Besan£on.  Chanzy  retires  northward  towards  Le 


4G1 


TUESDAY,  DECEMBER  13. 

1 

Mans,  to  receive  the  support  of  Jaures  and  the  Army  of  the 
West.  Bourbaki  goes  to  Bourges. 

MOVEMENTS  OF  ARMIES. 

Grand  moves  have  been  made  on  the  checker  board  of 
France  within  the  last  few  days  —  moves  which  show  the  natu¬ 
ral  buoyancy  of  the  French  people,  and  which  initiate  the  new 
species  of  strategy  resolved  upon  by  the  French  authorities. 
That  buoyancy  is  the  perpetual  habit  of  the  French  to  make 
almost  instantaneous  changes  from  defeat  and  despondency  to 
victory  and  hope ;  and  the  new  French  strategy  is  the  deter¬ 
mination  to  offer  no  great  battles,  but  to  continually  harass  the 
invading  forces.  Bourbaki,  with  the  Eighteenth  and  Twentieth 
Corps,  leaves  Bourges,  and  moves  towards  the  valley  of  the 
Rhone,  to  fall  upon  Werder,  destroy  the  German  communica¬ 
tions  between  Paris  and  Strasburg,  and  relieve  the  struggling 
garrison  of  Belfort.  Prince  Charles  ceases  to  march  towards 
Tours,  and  returns  towards  Paris,  to  cover  the  besieging  army 
from  any  attack  from  the  French  army  at  Le  Mans.  King 
William  telegraphs  to-day  to 

Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles,  Dec.  13. 

After  four  days’  fighting  around  Beaugency,  the  French  retired  to  Blois, 
Tours,  and  Le  Mans.  Their  loss  was  severe.  Many  deserters  came  into 
our  lines  here  and  at  Rouen.  William. 

Every  day  the  Germans  are  becoming  less  hopeful,  and  many 
troops,  especially  the  Bavarians,  are  demoralized  and  despondent. 
Each  defeat  of  the  French  has  been  thought  to  be  the  last,  but 
still  the  end  does  not  come.  “  What  are  we  fighting  for  ?  ”  is 
now  often  asked  in  Mecklenburg’s  army  ;  while  around  Paris  the 
patience  of  the  besieging  army  is  exhausted.  For  ninety  days 
have  the  heroic  French  held  out,  and  still  no  signs  of  the  surrender 
of  Paris.  Day  by  day  the  rations  of  the  besieged  have  grown 
plainer  and  scantier.  Black  bread  has  taken  the  place  of  white  ; 
and  salt  provisions,  with  horse,  rats,  and  cats,  are  eaten  by  the 
inhabitants,  who  defy  the  weary  besiegers.  Von  Moltke  has 
placed  no  guns  in  position,  because  he  has  daily  expected  the 
surrender  of  the  capital.  Now  for  the  first  time  guns  are  to 
be  mounted  for  the  reduction  of  Mont  Avron,  a  redoubt  to 
the  east  of  Paris,  and  about  a  mile  from  Nogent.  This  redoubt 
threw  many  shots  into  the  Prussian  ranks  during  the  fight  at 
Brie,  Champigny,  and  Villiers  on  the  2d.  After  reducing 
Avron,  the  German  guns  will  open  on  Nogent  and  Rosny,  and 
against  the  forts  on  the  south. 


4G2 


THE  FRANC O-PRUSSI AN  WAR. 


AMIENS  —  ROUEN  —  HAVRE. 

After  the  capture  of  Amiens  on  the  28th  of  November,  Man- 
teuffel  moved  upon  Rouen,  which  fell,  with  400  prisoners  and 
ten  guns,  on  the  4th  of  December.  Rouen  is  at  the  head  of 
navigation  on  the  Seine.  From  Rouen,  Manteuffel  turned  his 
attention  towards  the  seaport  of  Havre,  fortified  by  the  sea 
and  harbor  on  three  sides,  and  by  strong  fortifications  on  the 
other.  On  the  8th  of  December,  General  Goeben,  with  the 
Eighth  Corps,  took  Dieppe,  on  the  channel,  about  forty  miles 
to  the  east  of  Rouen,  but  soon  abandoned  it.  On  the  13th 
General  Goeben  returned  to  Dieppe  with  8000  men,  which  he 
billeted  upon  the  inhabitants.  Of  this  occupation  says  an  eye¬ 
witness  : 

The  French,  submit  very  patiently  and  submissively  to  the  indignities  of 
the  occupation,  and  the  conduct  of  the  Prussian  troops  is  praiseworthy  in 
the  extreme ;  they  are  as  friendly  and  sociable  as  their  position  will  permit 
- —  giving  alms  to  the  little  beggars,  dividing  their  rations  of  sausage  and 
biscuit  with  others,  kissing  their  children,  and  doing  all  in  their  power  to 
make  their  unwelcome  presence  as  little  galling  as  possible. 

Friday,  December  16.  —  Prince  Charles  occupies  Vendome, 
driving  Chanzy  towards  Le  Mans  with  the  loss  of  six  guns. 
Mecklenburg  withdrawing  to  Chartres  to  cover  Paris. 

All  the  German  Princes  and  the  Hanse  towns  concur  in  be¬ 
stowing  upon  King  William  of  Prussia  the  Imperial  crown  of 
Germany,  under  the  title  of  Frederick  William  I. 

EMPEROR  FREDERICK  WILLIAM  I. 

The  hope  of  Bismarck,  and  the  prayer  of  Prussia  for  German 
unity,  is  accomplished.  First  the  South  German  states  were 
lukewarm,  then  the  unbearable  insult  of  Napoleon  III.  made 
them  allies  against  France.  Once  allies,  fighting  for  the  Ger¬ 
man  Fatherland,  and  the  tie  of  blood  and  language  wove  the 
woof  of  German  unity  and  friendship.  The  German  nations 
became  one,  and  Frankfort,  which  so  hated  King  William  in 
’67,  now  begs  the  honor  of  being  made  the  place  wherein  is  to 
be  held  the  crowning  ceremony.  That  King  William  shall  re¬ 
sume  the  title  of  Emperor  of  Germany,  has  been  ratified  by 
Bavaria,  Saxony,  Wurtemberg,  Hesse,  Baden,  and  the  free 
cities  of  Hamburg,  Bremen,  Lubeck,  and  Frankfort,  and,  sixty- 
four  years  after  Charlemagne,  the  Imperial  crown  falls  upon 
the  white  head  of  the  capturer  of  Napoleon  III.  Germany  is 


EMPEROR  FREDERICK  WILLIAM  I. 


4G3 


now  great  and  powerful.  Broken  and  divided  in  1815,  she  fell 
an  easy  prey  to  the  first  Napoleon;  but  the  blood  of  1870  has 
healed  her  internal  wounds,  and  made  her  one  of  the  grandest 
powers  in  the  Old  World  despotisms. 

The  new  German  Empire  will  be  composed  of  25  States,  of 
which  four  are  kingdoms,  three  free  cities,  and  the  remainder 
grand  duchies,  duchies,  and  principalities.  Its  total  area  at 
present  is  204,700  square  miles,  or  only  two-thirds  of  the  Ger¬ 
man  Empire  at  the  time  of  Frederick  Barbarossa,  and  four- 
fifths  of  the  German  Empire  at  the  close  of  the  last  century, 
and  its  population  in  1867  amounted  to  38,500,000.  Both  in 
point  of  territory  and  population  it  would  still  be  nearly  equal 
to  France,  which  had  209,000  square  miles  and  38,100,000  in¬ 
habitants,  not  counting  her  colonies.  The  Constitution  of  the 
new  Empire  will  bear  more  resemblance  to  that  of  the  United 
States  and  Switzerland  than  with  that  of  any  other  European 
State.  The  Federal  House  of  Representatives  is  elected  by 
universal  suffrage,  at  the  rate  of  one  deputy  for  every  100,000 
inhabitants  ;  while  the  Federal  Council  consists  of  the  plenipo¬ 
tentiaries  of  the  several  States  —  not,  however,  as  in  the  United 
States  and  Switzerland,  in  equal  numbers,  but  varying  according 
to  the  population  of  the  several  States.  Prussia,  however, 
though  she  has  more  than  one-half  of  the  total  population  of 
the  Empire,  has  only  seventeen  out  of  about  sixty  votes. 

German  unity  means  power  and  grandeur,  but  does  it  mean 
freedom  and  reform  ?  Will  not  the  thousand  petty  princes 
return  from  the  war,  where  they  have  been  bolstered  up  by 
brave  and  talented  chiefs  of  staff,  and  rule  over  the  common 
people  with  the  hateful  rod  of  a  pedantic  aristocracy  ?  Ger¬ 
many,  I  fear,  is  to  be  great,  but  not  free.  King  William  goes 
not  back  to  the  desolate  hearth  of  Germany  as  went  Washing¬ 
ton  to  Mount  Vernon,  or  Cincinnatus  to  his  neglected  fields. 
Before  him  is  the  old  desire  of  glorious  conquest,  and  Luxem¬ 
burg  and  the  old  German  provinces  of  Austria  must  come 
back,  or  be  deluged  in  blood.  America  can  see  no  hope  in  all 
this  aggrandizement  of  power,  all  this  gluttonous  absorption. 
Europe  will  not  learn  the  lesson  of  Republicanism,  but  her  free 
city  of  Frankfort  claims  to  crown  an  Emperor ;  and  Spain,  weak 
with  a  blood-sucking  nobility,  carries  her  own  cross,  and  jour¬ 
neys  to  Milan  for  a  king  ! 

CHANZY’S  RETREAT. 

From  Blois,  Chanzy  moved  his  army  northward  towards 
Vendome,  threatening  Mecklenburg’s  right  flank.  On  the  15th, 


4G4 


THE  FRANC O-PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


Prince  Charles  left  his  splendid  Third  Corps  of  Brandenbur- 
gers  to  watch  Bourbaki,  and  threw  the  Ninth  and  Tenth,  with 
Mecklenburg's  army,  upon  Chanzy.  The  fight  took  place  a 
little  north  of  VendSme,  at  Freteval,  and  lasted  till  the  night  of 
the  15th,  when  Prince  Charles  held  the  town,  and  Chanzy  fell 
back  towards  General  Jaures  at  Le  Mans.  On  the  evening  of 
the  1 6th,  a  council  of  war  determined  that  the  safety  of 
Chanzy’ s  army  required  a  retreat  upon  Le  Mans. 

Sunday,  December  18 th.  —  Gambetta  sends  dispatches  from 
Bourges  to  Trochu,  by  carrier  pigeon.  Prince  Charles  occu¬ 
pies  Vendome,  and  Chanzy  falls  back  on  Le  Mans.  General 
Werder  occupies  Nuits,  twelve  miles  south  of  Dijon,  defeating 
General  Creamer’s  force  of  15,000  men  and  eighteen  guns. 
The  French  loss  was  1700  killed  and  wounded.  Prince 
William  of  Baden  and  General  Glumer  were  wounded. 

CHANZY’ S  RETREAT. 

On  the  17th,  Prince  Charles  placed  the  Third  Corps  in 
Beaugency,  and  ordered  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  to  march  on 
Vendome,  while  Von  der  Tann  held  the  German  left  towards 
Gien  with  a  Bavarian  battalion.  On  the  1 8th,  Chanzy  retreat¬ 
ing  from  Vendome,  Prince  Charles  marched  his  army  to 
Orleans,  to  check  an  expected  advance  of  Bourbaki.  Ascer¬ 
taining  that  Bourbaki’s  army  was  about  moving  towards  Lyons, 
Prince  Charles  marches  towards  Le  Mans,  and  determines  with 
Mecklenburg  to  destroy  the  Army  of  the  East. 

PARIS  AND  GAMBETTA. 

Gambetta  found  Bourbaki  in  a  demoralized  state,  but  he 
immediately  sent  this  carrier-pigeon  dispatch,  buoyant  with 
hope,  to  General  Trochu  in  Paris  : 

Gambetta  to  Jules  Favre  and  Trochu  :  Bourges,  Decejnber  18. 

I  have  been  at  Bourges  for  the  last  four  days  occupied  with  Bourbaki  organizing  the 
three  corps,  Fifteenth,  Eighteenth,  and  Nineteenth,  of  the  First  Army  of  the  Loire,  which, 
owing  to  forced  marches  during  frightful  heavy  weather  since  its  evacuation  of  Orleans, 
vrere  in  a  bad  state.  The  positions  occupied  by  Bourbaki  cover  Nevers  and  Bourges. 
The  other  part  of  the  Army  of  the  Loire,  after  the  evacuation  of  Orleans,  retreated  on 
Beaugency  and  Marchenoire,  where  they  withstood  all  the  efforts  of  Prince  Frederick 
Charles  —  thanks  to  the  indomitable  energy  of  General  Chanzy,  who  appears  to  be  the 
real  man-of-war  brought  forth  by  last  events.  This  army,  composed  of  the  Fifteenth, 
Seventeenth,  and  Twenty-first  Corps,  supported,  according  to  the  orders  of  General 
Trochu,  by  all  the  forces  of  the  west,  executed  an  admirable  retreat,  causing  terrible  losses 
to  the  Prussians.  Chanzy  prevented  Prince  Frederick  Charles  from  executing  a  great 
movement  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Loire,  and  the  Prince  vainly  attempted  to  cross  the  Loire 
at  Blois  to  Amboise,  and  menaced  Tours.  Chanzy  is  to-day  in  perfect  security  between 
Vendome  and  Le  Mans,  ready  to  take  the  offensive  so  soon  as  his  troops  have  had  some 


TOURS— DECEMBER  20. 


405 


repose.  These  troops  have  not  ceased  to  fight  most  admirably  against  superior  forces  from 
the  30th  of  November  to  the  12th  of  December.  You  thus  see  that  the  Army  of  the  Loire 
is  far  from  annihilated,  as  is  represented  by  the  Prussian  falsehoods.  It  is  separated  into 
two  armies  of  equal  force,  ready  to  operate  to  the  north  of  Paris,  and  the  other  to  march  on 
the  south.  Faidherbe  is  in  Bosworth,  and  it  is  thought  that  he  has  retaken  La  Fere,  with 
a  great  deal  of  ammunition,  artillery,  and  provisions.  But  we  are  most  anxious  as  to  your 
fate.  It  is  now  more  than  eight  days  since  we  have  received  any  news  from  you,  or  by  the 
Prussians.  The  cable  with  England  is  interrupted.  What  ib  going  on?  Deliver  us  from 
these  torments  by  sending  balloon  ;  the  winds  are  favorable,  and  will  take  it  to  Belgium. 
The  retreating  movement  of  the  Prussians  is  accentuated.  They  seem  fatigued  with  the 
continuance  of  the  war.  If  we  can  hold  out,  and  we  can  do  so  with  energy,  our  triumph 
is  certain.  According  to  the  reports  which  reach  me,  the  enemy  have  sustained  enormous 
losses,  and  they  provision  themselves  with  difficulty.  But  we  must  make  up  our  minds  to 
make  supreme  sacrifices,  not  to  complain,  and  to  struggle  till  death.  The  most  perfect 
order  reigns  in  the  interior.  The  government  and  the  National  Defence  Committee  is 
everywhere  respected  and  obeyed. 

(Signed)  Gambetta. 

This  dispatch  increased  the  despondency  of  Paris.  The 
Parisians  on  the  18th  were  reduced  to  black  bread  and  horse¬ 
flesh,  and  two-thirds  of  the  Paris  cab  horses  had  been  eaten. 
Market  prices  were  as  follows:  Geese,  8of. ;  turkeys,  ioo  f. ; 
chickens,  25  f.;  rabbits,  30  f.  A  Prussian  bomb  dropped  in¬ 
side  the  capital  near  the  Point  du  Tour,  the  first  warning  of 
the  coining  bombardment ;  and  the  others  went  flying  about 
the  Pantheon,  Luxembourg,  and  Church  of  the  Invalides. 

Tuesday,  December  20 th. — Tours  captured  by  Voigts 
Rhetz. 

CAPTURE  OF  TOURS. 

On  the  morning  of  Tuesday,  December  20th,  a  division  of 
Voigts  Rhetz’s  Hanoverians  encountered  a  division  of  the 
Twenty-first  French  Corps  a  few  miles  north  of  Tours.  The 
Hanoverians  opened  with  twenty-four  guns,  defeating  the 
French,  and  marching  upon  the  city  of  Tours,  the  recent  cap¬ 
ital  of  the  Republic.  Soon  after  Voigts  Rhetz  commenced 
bombarding  the  city,  the  Mayor  surrendered  the  town,  which 
was  held  for  a  few  hours,  when  Voigts  Rhetz  received  orders 
from  Prince  Charles  to  march  the  Tenth  Corps  back  to 
Orleans,  to  watch  the  strategetic  movement  of  Bourbaki. 

Wednesday,  December  21.  —  Trochu  makes  a  sortie  towards 
La  Bourget,  and  is  repulsed  by  the  Saxons. 

TROCHU’S  SORTIE. 

A  dispatch  from  Gambetta  had  prepared  Trochu  to  expect 
succor  from  the  outside  armies  on  the  2 1st.  Bourbaki,  who  was 
20* 


4GG 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


supposed  to  be  marching  against  Werder  in  the  valley  of  the 
Rhone,  was  to  make  a  rapid  turn,  and  in  connection  with  Faid- 
herbe  attack  the  invading  Germans  on  the  north  of  Paris. 
Prince  Charles  discovered  the  intended  movement,  and  im¬ 
mediately  drew  his  army  back  on  Orleans,  to  watch  Bourbaki, 
whose  designs  were  thus  frustrated.  Early  on  the  morning  of 
the  2 1  st,  Vinoy  advanced  with  50,000  men  toward  La  Bourget 
east  of  St.  Denis,  while  Ducrot  fought  a  battle  towards  Gagny 
and  Bondy.  The  unfortunate  village  of  Bourget  had  been 
taken  and  retaken  on  a  former  occasion,  and  the  place  was 
looked  upon  with  anything  but  kindly  eyes.  When  the  Saxons 
advanced  to  recapture  it,  a  feeling  of  German  hate  caused  its 
destruction.  It  was  found  necessary  to  storm  house  by  house. 
At  length  a  dwelling  was  reached,  on  the  outside  of  which,  in  a 
prominent  position,  was  scrawled  with  charcoal  and  in  German, 
“The  Prussians  are  dogs  and  cowards!  We  shall  kill  them 
all !  ”  Then  German  ferocity  showed  itself.  Scorning  to  fire 
a  single  shot  at  the  enemy  intrenched  behind  this  barricade, 
the  German  soldiers  broke  open  the  doors  and  windows  amid 
the  fire  from  within,  and  killed  every  Frenchman  there  found 
with  the  butt  ends  of  their  rifles. 


Ducrot  was  also  compelled  to  retire  with  the  loss  of  900 
prisoners,  and,  disappointed  again,  the  army  of  Paris  retired 
behind  the  forts,  while  King  William  sent  this  dispatch  : 

To  the  Queen  : 

The  French  made  a  sortie  in  the  direction  of  Staines  and  Bourget, 
prompted  by  the  mistaken  idea  that  a  French  army  of  relief  was  approach¬ 
ing.  Many  French  prisoners  were  taken  in  the  assault  on  the  Saxon 
position.  The  sortie  was  easily  repulsed.  The  cold  is  intense. 

Wilhelm. 


FRENCH  HONOR. 

Bismarck  charges  Generals  Ducrot,  Barral,  and  Cambriels 
with  having  violated  their  paroles  of  honor.  Trochu  defends 
Ducrot  in  a  letter,  in  which  he  says : 

“You  gave  your  parole  to  surrender  yourself  as  prisoner  of  war  at 
Pont-a-Mousson,  and  that  was  all.  And  there  having  made  yourself  offi¬ 
cially  a  prisoner,  thus  redeeming  your  parole,  you  conceived  and  executed, 
in  the  face  of  great  danger,  a  bold  escape,  by  which  you  hoped  to  assist 
Paris.” 


FA ID HERB E  AND  MANTEUFFEL. 


40  T 


Friday,  December  23.  —  General  Manteuffel  defeats  General 
Faidherbe  near  Amiens,  driving  him  north  toward  Albert  and 
Arras,  and  capturing  1000  prisoners. 

FAIDHERBE  vs.  MANTEUFFEL. 

Faidherbe  and  Manteuffel  fought  a  series  of  engagements,  in 
which  both  commanders  claimed  victories,  but  the  fact  that 
after  the  smoke  of  battle  had  cleared  away  Manteuffel  occu¬ 
pied  the  ground  from  which  Faidherbe  withdrew,  leaves  the  ver¬ 
dict  of  history  in  favor  of  Manteuffel.  On  the  23d,  Manteuffel, 
leaving  Goeben’s  forces  at  Rouen  and  Dieppe  to  look  after 
Havre,  arrived  in  front  of  Faidherbe,  with  about  40,000  men 
among  the  surburban  villages  of  Amiens.  The  conflicting  re¬ 
ports  are  given  to  illustrate  a  future  complaint  of  Faidherbe  as 
to  German  veracity.  Faidherbe  telegraphed  : 

“Manteuffel  gave  us  battle  on  the  23d  inst.  near  Amiens.  The  battle 
lasted  from  eleven  in  the  forenoon  until  six  o’clock  in  the  evening.  For 
the  greater  portion  of  the  time  it  was  an  artillery  duel,  which  was  finally 
terminated  by  a  charge  by  the  French  infantry  along  the  whole  line.  The 
enemy  were  driven  back,  and  the  French  troops  remained  masters  of  the 
field.” 

After  sending  this  dispatch,  Faidherbe  retired  northward  to¬ 
wards  Albert,  and  the  following  dispatch  was  sent  by  the  King 
to 

Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles  Dec.  24. 

Manteuffel  won  a  victory  on  the  23d  near  Amiens,  taking  1000  prisoners, 
and  commenced  to  pursue  the  French  in  the  direction  of  Arras  to-day. 

William. 

Subsequent  events  proved  that  Manteuffel  won  the  victory, 
though  Faidherbe  retreated  in  good  order. 

GEN.  FAIDHERBE. 

Louis  Leon  Cesar  Faidherbe,  now  Commander-in-chief  of  the  French 
Army  of  the  North,  was  born  at  Lille  on  the  3d  of  June,  1818.  He  was 
educated  at  the  college  in  that  place,,  entered  the  Polytechnic  School  in 
1838,  then  went  on  to  the  military  school  at  Metz,  which  he  left  in  1842, 
with  a  lieutenant’s  commission  in  the  First  Regiment  of  Engineers. 

He  fought  in  Africa  from  1844  to  1845  ;  returning  there  again  in  1850,  where  he  won  the 
Cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor  for  distinguished  service.  In  1852  he  was  sent  to  Senegal, 
where  he  gave  such  proof  of  ability,  that  he  was  made  Governor  of  the  Colony  in  1853. 
He  now  sought  to  renovate  the  colony.  He  fought  the  Moors  of  Furza,  and  conquered 
the  Prophet  El-Hadji-Omar,  who  undertook  to  expel  the  French  and  found  a  Mussulman 
empire  in  Central  Africa.  El-Hadji-Omar  conquered,  Faidherbe  left  Senegal  to  command 
the  subdivision  of  Sidi-bel-Abbes,  having  been  made  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  Engineers  in 
1855,  and  Colonel  in  1858.  But  his  absence  was  soon  felt  in  the  colony  :  his  policy  was 
not  maintained,  his  instructions  were  neglected,  and  everything  retrograded.  On  the 
20th  of  May,  1863,  M.  Fftidherbe,  raised  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General,  resumed  the 
reins  of  government  in  Senegal.  Two  years  after,  his  health  requiring  his  return  to  a  less 
murderous  climate,  he  took  the  highest  command  in  the  subdivision  of  Bone.  M.  Faid¬ 
herbe  has  written  much  on  the  manners,  language,  and  history  of  the  African  nations,  at 


468 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


well  as  on  the  topography,  geology,  and  archeology  of  the  districts  they  inhabit.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Geographical  Societies  of  Paris,  London,  and  Berlin. 

Faidherbe  is  now  the  rising  man  in  the  north  of  France,  and  promises  to  do  much  for 
the  Republic. 


Saturday,  December  24.  —  Skirmish  before  Havre.  The 
French  defeated,  and  driven  into  the  fortifications  with  a  loss  of 
200  prisoners. 

SKIRMISH  BEFORE  HAVRE. 

While  Manteuffel  was  fighting  Faidherbe  at  Amiens,  the 
French  commander  at  Havre  organized  an  expedition  of  3000 
men,  under  Colonel  Macmanard,  to  attack  a  force  of  about 
1800  Prussians  from  General'  Goeben’s  force,  stationed  at 
Yvetot,  a  considerable  town  twenty-five  miles  north-east  from 
Havre.  The  advancing  French  were  met  promptly  by  the 
Germans,  and  after  an  artillery  and  cavalry  fight,  driven  back 
to  the  fortifications  of  Havre,  which  are  considered  to  be  impreg¬ 
nable  to  almost  any  investing  force.  A  writer  in  The  London 
Standard  writes  : 

The  defences  of  Havre  consist  of  a  line  of  forts  and  batteries  running 
along  the  crest  of  a  range  of  hills,  commencing  about  a  mile  beyond  Le 
Hive,  on  the  sea  coast,  to  Harfleur,  on  the  River  Seine.  They  are  about 
three  miles  from  the  outskirts  of  the  town  of  Havre,  and  are  armed  with 
about  100  heavy  naval  guns.  These  lines  are  about  six  miles  in  length, 
and  can  only  be  approached  by  two  roads,  both  of  which  are  well  swept  by 
batteries,  and  the  position  is  so  formidable  by  nature,  that,  with  a  flanking 
fire  on  both  extremities  from  the  men-of-war,  they  could  easily  be  held  by 
10,000  good  troops  against  all  the  Prussians  in  France. 

The  present  French  force  in  Havre  numbers  40,000  men.  So  immense 
is  the  value  of  shipping  and  stores  in  Havre,  that  the  city  would  not  stand 
a  bombardment,  and  no  labor  has  been  spared  upon  the  outworks  and  re¬ 
doubts,  to  make  them  strong  enough  to  keep  the  Germans  outside  of  shell 
range  of  the  city.  Havre  has  a  population  of  75,000.  St.  Romain  is  eight 
miles  from  Havre,  and  with  Harfleur,  four  miles  from  the  city,  it  will  pro¬ 
bably  be  destroyed  when  the  regular  investment  of  Havre  commences. 

Tuesday,  Decejnber  27.  —  The  bombardment  of  Fort  Avron 
commences.  The  German  batteries  throw  twenty-four  shots 
per  minute,  the  French  replying  regularly.  Bismarck  apolo¬ 
gizes  for  the  scuttling  of  six  English  vessels  near  Rouen,  by  tha 
German  troops.  Manteuffel  advances  in  pursuit  of  Faidherbe, 
capturing  French  troops  at  Albert. 


PARIS  BOMBARDED  DECEMBER  29. 


469 


BISMARCK’S  APOLOGY  FOR  SCUTTLING  ENGLISH 
VESSELS. 

On  the  27th,  the  German  troops,  a  few  miles  from  Rouen,  seized  and 
scuttled  six  English  vessels,  turning  the  English  crews  adrift.  The  affair 
agitated  England,  and  the  English  vice-consul  at  Rouen  presented  to  the 
Prussian  commander  a  formal  protest.  The  Prussian  commander  claimed 
that  he  seized  them  for  fear  that  the  French  would  use  them  to  land  troops, 
and  Count  Bismarck  apologized  by  this  telegram  to  Earl  Granville,  through 
Count  Bernstorff,  the  Prussian  Minister: 

Versailles,  Jan.  8,  1871. 

The  report  of  the  German  commander  at  Rouen  respecting  the  sinking  of  the  Eng¬ 
lish  colliers  has  not  arrived,  but  the  facts  are  known.  Tell  Lord  Granville  that  we  sin¬ 
cerely  regret  that  our  troops,  to  avert  imminent  danger,  were  obliged  to  seize  the  British 
ships.  We  admit  the  claim  for  indemnity.  If  unjustifiable  excesses  were  committed,  we 
regret  them,  and  will  call  the  guilty  to  account.  Bismarck. 

Thursday,  December  29. — The  Germans  capture  Mont 
Avron,  south  of  Paris.  General  Prim  assassinated  while  pro¬ 
ceeding  from  the  Cortes  in  Madrid  to  his  residence,  by  three 
villains  in  the  Calla  Alcala.  Bourbaki  reinforces  the  French  in 
front  of  Nuits,  and  Werder  falls  back,  evacuating  Dijon,  Gray, 
and  Dole,  which  are  occupied  by  the  French.  The  Roumanian 
Government  repudiates  the  Treaty  of  Paris,  and  declares  inde¬ 
pendence.  The  Crown  Prince  goes  to  Amiens  to  confer  with 
Manteuffel.  MeziHes  surrenders  with  2000  men  and  106  guns. 

MONT  AVRON. 

The  German  guns  in  a  curved  line  from  Noisy  le  Grand  to 
Gagny  (see  map,  page  340)  opened  on  Mont  Avron  on  the 
27th,  at  9  a.m.,  throwing  twenty-four  shots  per  minute,  and 
silencing  the  French  guns  on  the  morning  of  the  29th.  The 
Crown  Prince  of  Saxony  entered  the  fort  with  his  old  Twelfth 
Corps,  who  stood  with  him  at  Sedan,  and  thus  telegraphed  his 
entry  : 

To  King  John  of  Saxony  :  Mont  Avron,  Dec.  29. 

The  Saxons  have  Mont  Avron.  When  my  troops  entered,  they  found 
the  work  deserted.  The  French  had  removed  their  guns  to  Noisy.  The 
German  batteries  were  then  ordered  to  open  fire  on  Noisy,  Merlan,  and 
Bondy.  The  French  subsequently  withdrew  from  the  village  of  Rosny, 
along  the  road  to  Paris. 

While  from  the  King  came  this  dispatch  : 

To  Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles,  Dec.  29. 

The  bombardment  of  Fort  Avron  silenced  the  enemy’s  guns.  The 
railway  station  at  Noisy  was  shelled,  and  the  French  artillery  at  Bondy  dis¬ 
lodged. 


470 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


The  Prussian  loss  was  three  men.  The  garrison  of  Fort  Avron  has  fled 
into  Paris.  Wilhelm. 

Sunday,  January  i.  —  Manteuffel  moving  against  Faidherbe 
on  the  north.  Grand  banquet  at  Versailles. 

KING  WILLIAM’S  TOAST. 

At  the  New  Year’s  banquet  at  Versailles,  the  King  gave  a 
toast  to  “  The  German  Princes,”  to  which  the  Duke  of  Baden 
responded  in  a  speech,  rejoicing  at  the  restoration  of  the  old 
German  Empire,  and  concluding  with  a  toast  to  “  William  the 
Victorious.” 

Monday,  January  2,  1871.  — Manteuffel  marches  north  from 
Amiens,  past  the  fortress  of  Peronne,  and  fights  Faidherbe 
near  Bapaume. 


Tuesday,  January  3. — Faidherbe  is  repulsed  by  Manteuf¬ 
fel,  and  retreats  upon  Arras. 

BAPAUME  AND  PERONNE. 

After  the  victorious  encounter  of  Manteuffel  at  Amiens,  the 
Germans  commenced  their  northward  march.  The  fortress  of 
Peronne  was  invested,  and  the  cavalry,  light  infantry,  and  artil¬ 
lery  pushed  on  to  Bapaume,  about  fifteen  miles  south  of  Arras, 
another  fortified  town,  which,  with  Douai  and  Lille,  forms  an 
almost  impregnable  triangle,  with  a  fortress  at  each  angle.  Faid¬ 
herbe  made  his  last  stand  at  Bapaume  before  withdrawing  to 
the  neighboring  fortified  towns.  He  attacked  Manteuffel  on 
Monday,  south  of  Bapaume.  The  contest  was  hot  and  bloody, 
and  after  an  all-day  fight,  both  armies  rested  on  their  respective 
fields.  On  Tuesday  morning,  Manteuffel  ordered  Goeben  to 
advance  upon  the  French  again.  After  a  sanguinary  struggle, 
the  French  withdrew  into  the  town  of  Bapaume,  and  commenced 
a  retreat  towards  the  north.  The  town  was  destroyed,  and  the 
Eighth  Rhenish  Cuirassiers  pursued  the  retreating  French  to¬ 
wards  Arras  and  Douai.  A  strange  question  of  veracity  again 
sprang  up  between  Faidherbe  and  Manteuffel,  but  the  denott- 
ments  of  a  few  days  showed  Faidherbe’s  pretensions  to  be 
groundless.  The  following  dispatch  from  Faidherbe  proved  to 
be  as  false  as  General  Pope’s  famous  dispatch  claiming  the 
capture  of  10,000  rebels  south  of  Corinth  : 


MANTEUFFEL  GOES  TO  WERDER.  471 


We  have  fought  a  battle  near  Bapaume,  which  lasted  from  eight  in  the 
morning  to  six  in  the  evening  of  Monday.  We  have  driven  the  Prussians 
from  all  their  positions  and  the  villages  occupied  by  them.  The  enemy’s 
losses  are  enormous.  Ours  are  serious.  Faidherbe. 

This  question  of  veracity  arose  from  the  fact  that  Captain 
Von  Maire’s  cuirassiers  were  at  one  time  repulsed,  and  re¬ 
treated  in  disorder  before  a  superior  force  of  French.  The 
main  battle  was  in  favor  of  Manteuffel,  who  sent  his  uhlans 
scouring  the  country  in  all  directions;  some  even  crept  up 
under  the  walls  of  Lille. 

BATTLE  ON  THE  SEINE. 

While  this  fight  was  going  on  at  Bapaume,  General  Von  Ben- 
theim  sallied  out  from  Rouen  towards  Havre,  routing  the  French 
under  General  Roy,  and  capturing  1000  prisoners. 

Thursday,  January  5. — The  fortress  of  Rocroy  surren¬ 
ders.  Von  Moltke  orders  the  bombardment  of  the  southern 
forts  of  Paris  —  Montrouge,  Issy,  and  Vanvres. 

Friday,  January  6  . —  Terrific  bombardment  of  southern 
forts  continued. 

KING  WILLIAM’S  DISPATCH. 

To  Queen  Augusta:  Versaili.es,  Jan.  6. 

The  weather  has  moderated.  We  are  now  having  a  thaw.  Our 
losses  during  the  bombardment  of  Fort  d’lssy,  so  far,  are  17  killed  and 
wounded.  Large  supplies  were  captured  from  the  French  at  Rocroy. 

Sunday,  January  8.  —  Prince  Charles  commences  his  march 
against  Chanzy  at  Le  Mans.  Manteuffel  leaves  the  Army  of 
the  North  to  Goeben,  Kummer,  and  Prince  Albrecht,  and 
prepares  to  take  command  of  a  new  German  army,  to  ope¬ 
rate  against  Bourbaki’s  rear.  German  shells  fall  into  the  gar¬ 
dens  of  the  Luxembourg,  and  around  the  Pantheon. 

the  bombardment. 

To  Queen  Augusta:  Versailles,  Jan.  8. 

Frederick  Charles  continues  his  victorious  advance  on  Le  Mans.  Our 
forces  meet  with  resistance.  Everything  has  been  quiet  in  the  North  since 
the  3d.  The  bombardment  here  is  proceeding  favorably.  The  barracks 
in  Fort  Vanvres  are  on  fire  Wilhelm. 


Monday,  January  9.  —  Bourbaki  arrives  in  front  of  Werder 


473 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


with  his  Orleans  army,  and  is  defeated  by  the  Germans,  with  a 
loss  of  800  prisoners. 


Tuesday,  January  10.  — The  great  battle  of  Le  Mans  com¬ 
mences.  The  Germans  advance  one  thousand  yards  nearer 
Paris.  The  Parisians  demand  active  operations,  and  blame 
Trochu.  The  fortress  of  Peronne  capitulates  with  3000  pris¬ 
oners.. 

KING  WILLIAM’S  DISPATCH. 

To  Queen  Augusta  :  Versailles,  Jan.  10. 

Owing  to  a  snow-storm  and  heavy  fog,  the  bombardment  is  slower  to¬ 
day. 

Peronne  has  capitulated  with  3000  prisoners. 

Werder  defeated  Bourbaki  on  the  9th,  south  of  Vesoul.  He  took  800 
prisoners.  William. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  LE  MANS  {January  10  and  n). 

The  last  hope  of  France  to  succor  Paris  was  dispelled 
to-day  —  a  day  rife  with  strategy  and  battles.  Goeben,  with 
the  First  and  Eighth  Corps,  supported  by  Prince  Albrecht’s 
cavalry,  already  in  possession  of  Peronne,  held  Faidherbe  defi¬ 
antly  towards  Arras.  Manteuffel,  with  Fansecki's  second  corps, 
started  post  haste  to  threaten  Bourbaki,  now  in  front  of  Wer¬ 
der,  near  Belfort.  While  these  grand  movements  were  being 
made  upon  the  checker-board  of  Eastern  France,  another  and 
grander  movement  was  going  on  in  the  west.  Chanzy  had 
withdrawn  his  defeated  army  from  Vendome  to  within  seven 
miles  of  Le  Mans,  where,  reinforced  from  Cherbourg  and 
Bordeaux,  he  awaited  with  150,000  men  the  attack  of  Prince 
Charles.  The  battle  commenced  at  nine  o’clock  on  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  icth.  Chanzy  located  his  Sixteenth,  Seventeenth, 
and  Twenty-first  Corps,  commanded  by  Admiral  Jaurezibery, 
and  Generals  Colomb  and  Jouffroy,  in  a  line  extending  from 
the  village  of  Brette,  about  four  miles  from  Orleans,  along  the 
railroad  towards  La  Ferte,  overlooking  the  valley  of  the 
Huisne.  Jouffroy  commanded  the  French  Right  covering 
Brette,  Colomb  the  Centre  on  the  plateau  of  Auvours,  and 
Jaurezibery  the  Left.  Prince  Charles  advanced  with  the  Third, 
Ninth,  Tenth,  Fourteenth,  and  the  First  Bavarian  Corps,  about 
150,000  veteran  troops.  Prince  Charles  first  attacked  the  Right 
of  the  French,  hoping  to  cut  them  off  from  Le  Mans,  and  to 


LE  MAKS— JANUARY  io. 


473 


prevent  a  retreat  to  the  south,  choosing  rather  to  drive 
Chanzy  towards  Cherbourg  and  the  sea. 

Chanzy  received  the  attack  with  his  army  well  drawn  up 
with  artillery  in  front,  and  cavalry  on  the  right  and  left.  The 
battle-field  was  perfect,  and  the  French  line  reflected  the  he¬ 
reditary  glory  of  France.  Twelve  inches  of  snow  covered  the 
ground.  Between  the  two  armies  was  a  valley,  and  for  the 
first  hour  it  was  a  battle  of  artillery.  At  eleven  o’clock,  Prince 
Charles  gave  the  order  for  an  infantry  advance,  and  the  two 
armies  met  face  to  face  in  a  bloody  struggle.  The  French  were 
fierce  — the  German  veterans  cool  and  determined.  At  twelve 
o’clock,  the  Third  and  Tenth  German  Corps  made  a  terrible 
advance  against  the  French  centre.  The  French  Mobiles 
wavered  and  fell  back,  and  again  Voigts  Rhetz  and  Alvens- 
leben  covered  a  victorious  field. 

The  snow  was  red  with  blood,  and,  as  Chanzy  fell  back  to¬ 
wards  Le  Mans,  night  came  on  and  shrouded  the  dreadful 
scene.  All  that  night  Chanzy  worked  with  a  terrible  energy 
to  retrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day.  Reinforcements  arrived 
from  Camp  Conlie,  and,  after, a  night  of  anxiety,  the  morning 
dawned  upon  the  French  prepared  for  another  conflict.  For¬ 
ward  came  Prince  Charles  at  daylight  —  but  the  French  had 
fallen  back,  and  their  position  was  not  reached  until  ten  o’clock. 
Again  the  attack  sounded  —  this  time  on  the  French  Left.  A 
tremendous  German  force,  under  cover  of  a  heavy  artillery  fire, 
struck  Jaurezibery,  who  met  the  advance  in  a  terrible  struggle. 
The  Germans  carried  the  Left,  capturing  two  guns,  when  Chanzy 
moved  forward  supports,  checking  a  farther  German  advance. 
Here  the  French  left  stood  like  a  wall  against  every  German 
onslaught,  and  around  La  Ferte  was  a  long  and  sanguinary 
encounter.  An  overpowering  German  force  now  massed  and 
attacked  Colomb  in  the  centre.  Colomb  fell  back  to  a  posi¬ 
tion  where  the  rising  ground  gave  the  French  artillery  an  effec¬ 
tive  position.  Here  were  stationed  the  marines,  with  a  large 
park  of  artillery,  shotted  with  shell  and  canister.  Its  terrible 
fire  soon  compelled  the  Germans  to  fall  back.  Now  the  bat¬ 
tle  stood  still  for  two  hours,  with  varying  fortunes.  The  sun 
now  came  out  warm,  and  the  snow  commenced  rapidly  to  melt. 
As  usual,  the  fighting  had  brought  on  an  impending  storm. 

At  four  p.m.  Prince  Charles  changed  his  tactics,  and  threw 
an  overpowering  force  against  the  French  Right  beyond  Brette. 
In  front  of  Brette  is  a  large  wood.  This  was  filled  with  Ger¬ 
mans,  who  showered  bullets  and  canister  upon  the  unfortunate 


474 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


town.  At  dark,  Chanzy  ordered  his  right  to  fall  back,  and  soon 
the  streets  of  Le  Mans,  only  a  few  miles  to  the  rear,  were 
filled  with  stragglers.  At  five,  Prince  Charles  advanced  his 
entire  line,  and  Chanzy  ordered  his  army  to  retreat.  This  was 
done  in  good  order ;  the  French  deciding  to  renew  the  fight 
again  in  the  morning.  Prince  Charles  did  not  rest  with  night, 
but  even  in  the  darkness  a  tremendous  assault  was  continued 
against  the  French  Right,  which  gave  way,  the  Gardes  Mobiles 
from  Brittany  flying  in  disorder  towards  Le  Mans.  After  a 
council  of  war,  Chanzy  decided  to  retreat  towards  Alencjon  on 
the  north,  and  Laval  on  the  west.  Thus  ended  the  hope 
of  the  Republic  in  the  Army  of  the  West.  On  the  morning  of 
the  1 2th  Mecklenburg  telegraphed  : 

We  advanced  to-day  north  of  Le  Mans,  without  fighting.  Our  van¬ 
guard  has  crossed  the  Sarthe. 

The  Third  and  Tenth  German  Corps  occupied  Le  Mans, 
and  Mecklenburg  moved  upon  Jaurezibery  toward  Alen^on. 
King  William  sent  the  following  dispatch  of  victory  : 

To  Queen  Augusta:  Versailles,  January  12 (A. 

Prince  Frederick  Charles  has  fought  and  defeated  the  French  at  Le 
Mans.  Chanzy’s  army  is  broken  up,  and  is  retreating  on  Alentjon  and 
Laval.  Ten  thousand  prisoners  and  many  guns  are  falling  into  our  hands. 

Wilhelm. 


losses. 

Since  the  6th,  the  French  losses  have  been,  besides  killed 
and  wounded,  22,000  prisoners  and  twelve  canon.  The 
Prussian  official  losses  were  177  officers  and  3203  men  killed 
and  wounded ;  about  the  same  number  of  French  have  been 
placed  hors  du  combat. 


Friday,  Jaiiuary  i7,th. — Prince  Charles  continues  his  pur¬ 
suit  of  Chanzy.  Trochu  makes  a  sortie  from  the  north  of 
Paris.  The  bombardment  continues.  Montmedy  surrenders, 
after  its  walls  are  breached  with  solid  shot. 

PARIS  —  A  SORTIE. 

To-day  important  sorties  were  made  against  the  Eleventh 
German  Corps  at  Meudon,  the  Second  Bavarian  at  Clamart, 
and  the  Guards  at  La  Bourget ;  all  of  which  were  repulsed.  A 
rain  of  projectiles  is  pouring  upon  Paris,  causing  death  and 
destruction  in  the  region  between  the  Invalides,  where  lie  the 
ashes  of  the  first  Napoleon,  and  the  Odeon.  Two  shells  per 
minute  drop  around  the  Luxembourg  and  Church  of  St.  Sulpice. 


MONDAY  JANUARY  16. 


47  J 


Bread  is  scarce,  but  still  the  heroic  population  resist  surrender. 
To-day,  a  poor  wretch,  half-dead  with  fatigue,  and  wasted  by 
misery,  exclaimed  :  “  Mon  Dieu  !  que  cela  lrnisse”  (My  God  ! 

when  will  this  end).  Suffering  women  surrounded  her,  abused 
and  hustled  her  about,  till  she  fainted  on  the  street.  There  is 
a  mad  class  of  stoics  who  propose  absolute  starvation,  that 
the  world  may  be  stunned  by  an  example  of  sublime  self-de¬ 
struction.  A  great  cry  is  raised  in  Paris  against  Gen.  Trochu, 
who  has  failed  to  organize  victory.  Gen.  Vinoy,  now  seventy 
years  old,  is  the  favorite  now  in  Paris.  An  American  gentle¬ 
man  thus  writes  to-day : 

General  Trochu  is  a  complete  failure,  and  if  he  were  out  of  the  way  there 
would  be  some  hope  of  saving  France.  He  has  been  so  flattered  for  his 
supposed  greatness  that  he  believes  his  own  safety  paramount  to  that  of 
Paris,  and  has  talked  of  leaving  Paris  by  balloon,  to  avoid  capture  when 
the  city  falls.  When  urged  not  to  do  so,  and  told  that  the  French  people 
would  regard  such  an  act  as  cowardice,  he  replied  that  his  capture  would 
be  the  ruin  of  France,  and  by  his  safety  alone  could  the  people  expect  to 
succeed  in  driving  the  Germans  from  the  soil  of  France. 

The  price  of  provisions  is  enormously  high ;  there  remains  only  enough 
on  hand  to  enable  the  city  to  hold  out  until  the  20th  of  January  — -  pos¬ 
sibly  a  few  days  longer.  Horse-meat  has  entirely  given  out,  and  is  not  to 
be  found  in  the  markets.  Mule-meat  sells  for  $2.00  per  pound  and  upward, 
according  to  quality.  Cats  bring  $4.00  each,  dogs  $1.50  per  pound,  and 
rats  are  $1.00  per  pair.  One  turkey  sold  for  if! 50.00. 

The  weather  is  fearfully  cold,  and  fuel  is  exhausted.  The  people  are 
burning  fences  and  furniture.  Oil  is  gone,  and  the  city  is  in  total  darkness 
at  night. 

Monday,  January  16.  —  Bourbaki  attacks  Werder  south  of 
Belfort,  and  is  defeated.  Prince  Charles  occupies  Laval,  and 
Mecklenburg  Alen^on,  capturing  four  locomotives  and  four 
hundred  wagons.  Chanzy  moving  west,  and  Jaurezibery 
north:  Faidherbe  moves  toward  St.  Quentin. 

BOURBAKI’S  DEFEAT. 

After  the  defeat  of  Paladines,  on  the  3d  of  December,  had 
broken  the  French  Army  of  the  Loire  into  three  retreating 
forces,  Bourbaki  fell  back  upon  Bourges  with  the  Eighteenth 
Corps.  While  Prince  Charles  pursued  Chanzy  toward  Tours, 
Bourbaki  commenced  the  strategic  movement  of  falling  upon 
Werder  at  Dijon  before  reinforcements  could  reach  him.  On 
the  nth  of  January,  Fansecki  started  in  hot  pursuit  of  Bour¬ 
baki  with  the  Second  Corps,  while  Werder  fell  back  with  his 
inferior  force  towards  Belfort,  garrisoned  with  four  thousand 


476  THE  FRANC O-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 

besieged  French.  On  the  16th  of  January,  Bourbaki,  with  the 
other  French  forces,  arrived  in  front  of  Werder,  near  Belfort, 
and  immediately  gave  battle  to  the  Germans,  hoping,  if  suc¬ 
cessful,  to  raise  the  siege  of  Belfort.  Bourbaki’ s  forces,  with 
the  forces  of  Cambriels  and  Garibaldi,  and  with  reinforcements 
from  Lyons,  amounted  to  125,000  men.  The  encounter  was 
bloody,  and  there  was  great  solicitude  at  Versailles  as  to  the 
result  of  the  French  attack.  All  day  long  on  the  16th,  both 
armies  fought  on  the  plain  near  Belfort,  and  the  beleaguered 
garrison  hoped,  but  in  vain,  for  victory.  At  night  both  armies 
slept  on  the  field.  On  the  morning  of  the  1 7th,  Bourbaki  com¬ 
menced  a  fresh  attack.  It  was  the  last  struggle  of  the  Army 
of  the  East,  and  defeat  meant  the  abandonment  of  the  strug¬ 
gling  garrison.  Towards  night  Werder  swept  forward  his  entire 
army  in  one  grand  advance.  The  French  wavered  —  then  the 
centre  broke,  and  Bourbaki  was  defeated.  He  commenced  his 
retreat  suddenly  towards  Dijon,  hoping  to  reach  Lyons  before 
the  flanking  army  from  Paris,  now  under  Mantueffel,  should 
break  his  communications.  Bourbaki’ s  failure  caused  him  such 
regret  that  insanity  followed  ;  and  a  week  afterwards  we  hear  of 
his  making  an  attempt  upon  his  own  life.  Poor  General !  If  the 
writer  threw  a  doubt  about  you  in  August,  he  now  withdraws 
it ;  for  you  have  proved  true  to  the  Republic. 

Thursday,  January  19.  —  King  William  is  proclaimed  Em¬ 
peror  of  Germany  in  the  Hall  of  Mirrors  at  Versailles.  Faid- 
herbe  defeated  and  driven  into  and  through  St.  Quentin,  where 
Goeben  captured  2000  French  wounded,  5000  unwounded 
troops,  and  six  guns.  Trochu  makes  his  last  sortie  from 
Paris.  General  Glumer  pursues  Bourbaki  towards  the  Swiss 
border. 

THE  KING  BECOMES  EMPEROR. 

In  the  presence  of  all  the  German  Princes,  to-day,  at  Ver¬ 
sailles,  King  William  was  proclaimed  Emperor  of  Germany. 
The  occasion  was  the  scene  of  a  great  military  pageant ;  and 
while  Napoleon  III.  is  a  throneless  prisoner,  the  man  who 
was  to  be  besieged  in  Berlin  receives  the  crown  once  worn  by 
Charlemagne.  The  Emperor  —  Frederick  William  I.  —  appoints 
Bismarck  chancellor  of  the  German  Empire,  and  issues  the  fol¬ 
lowing  proclamation  to-day  : 


PARIS—  THE  LAST  SORTIE ,  JAN.  16. 


477 


To  THE  PEOPLE  OF  UNITED  GERMANY  : 

In  consequence  of  the  appeal  of  the  German  Princes  and  of  the  free 
towns  for  us  to  restore  the  German  Empire,  after  a  lapse  of  sixty  years,  we 
announce  that  we  consider  it  our  duty  to  the  Fatherland  to  accept  the  Im¬ 
perial  dignity.  Henceforth  we  and  our  successors  will  bring  to  the  title  of 
Emperor  of  Germany  the  hope  that  God  will  vouchsafe  a  blissful  future  to 
the  Fatherland,  and  that,  under  our  auspices,  its  ancient  splendor  may  be 
restored.  We  partake  of  the  dignity,  conscious  of  our  duty  to  preserve 
with  German  fidelity  the  rights  of  the  Empire,  and  of  its  members  to  main¬ 
tain  peace,  and  to  support  and  strengthen  the  independence  of  Germany, 
in  the  hope  that  the  German  people  will  reap,  in  lasting  peace,  within  our 
boundaries,  the  fruits  of  their  bloody  battles,  and  be  safe  against  the  re¬ 
newal  of  French  attacks.  God  giant  that  we  and  our  successors  may  pro¬ 
tect  the  Empire,  not  by  warlike  conquests,  but  by  works  of  peace,  freedom, 
and  civilization. 

William,  Emperor. 

THE  LAST  SORTIE  FROM  PARIS. 

On  Wednesday  evening  the  Government  issued  a  fiery  proc¬ 
lamation  to  the  discouraged  Parisians.  It  was  the  last  hectic 
flush  of  a  dying  man.  “  To-morrow,”  read  the  eyes  of  Paris  on 
a  thousand  bulletins,  “  we  go  forth  against  the  foe  which  kills 
our  wives  and  children  !  ”  All  night  long  artillery  rumbled  to 
the  west,  under  cover  of  Fort  Valerien,  and  at  the  first  dawn 
of  light  on  Thursday,  three  corps  d'armee  —  an  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  strong  —  advanced  upon  the  besieging  Germans.  The 
morning  was  beautiful  and  bright,  and  the  French  line  was  a 
historic  tableau  for  the  canvas  of  Dore  and  Meissonnier,  who 
stood  with  1’rochu  in  the  centre.  Ducrot  commanded  the  right, 
occupying  Bougival,  in  front  of  Kirchbach’s  Fifth  Corps.  Gen¬ 
eral  Vinoy  took  possession  of  the  village  of  Montretout,  and 
opened  on  the  Germans  with  ten  pieces  of  artillery.  General 
Villemain  subsequently  took  the  line  of  battle  on  the  Left  tow¬ 
ards  St.  Cloud.  The  fighting  around  Sevres  and  in  the  rear  of 
St.  Cloud  was  severe  and  bloody.  Immense  masses  of  the 
French  threw  themselves  against  that  sturdy  German  wall  ;  but 
it  was  all  in  vain.  At  three  o’clock,  the  Second  Bavarian  Corps 
advanced  upon  the  French  Left,  which  recoiled,  and  broke  tow¬ 
ards  Montretout.  Trochu  rallied  his  broken  masses  again,  and 
placing  himself  at  their  head  advanced  upon  the  Germans,  who 
pushed  forward  immense  masses  of  infantry  with  heavy  reserves 
of  artillery.  Trochu  was  driven  back,  and,  abandoned  by  for¬ 
tune,  his  unhappy  army  returned  sullenly  and  sorrowfully  to 
Fort  Valerien,  and  the  fiery  proclamations  of  the  morning 
were  covered  over  with  Trochu’ s  terrible  acknowledgment  of 
defeat : 


473 


THE  FRANCO- PR  US  SIAN  WAR. 


The  day,  which  commenced  successfully,  did  not  terminate  as  we  could 
have  wished.  The  enemy  were  at  first  surprised,  hut  subsequently  concen¬ 
trated  great  masses  of  artillery  and  infantry,  and  at  three  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon  our  left  receded.  We  resumed  at  nightfall  the  offensive  move¬ 
ment,  but  were  unable  to  hold  the  heights  which  we  had  taken.  The 
struggle  was  sanguinary.  We  have  asked  for  an  armistice. 

The  Emperor  William  sent  the  following  telegrams  : 

To  the  Empress  Augusta: 

Versailles,  January  19.  —  A  sortie  was  made  from  Valerien  to-day 
under  cover  of  a  heavy  fire.  It  was  entirely  without  result. 

The  Army  of  the  North  was  beaten  to-day  before  St.  Quentin.  Four 
thousand  unwounded  prisoners  and  two  guns  were  captured. 

Wilhelm. 

Versailles,  Friday,  January  20. —  Faidherbe  will  be  pursued  to-day. 

The  sortie  from  Valerien  yesterday  was  made  in  great  force.  The  troops 
are  still  outside  of  Paris.  A  fresh  attack  is  certain  to-day. 

Wilhelm. 

During  the  battle  the  Prussian  shells  went  crashing  into  Paris, 
and  that  night,  with  defeat  in  the  field  and  hunger  at  home,  — - 
with  the  skies  raining  shot  and  shell  upon  their  beautiful  capi¬ 
tal,  what  wonder  that  Paris  was  the  picture  of  despair  ! 

William  Emperor  telegraphed  at  night  : 

To  the  Empress  Augusta  : 

The  enemy  has  entirely  withdrew  into  Paris.  Fifteen  officers  and  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men  were  captured  at  St.  Cloud.  William. 

On  Friday  morning,  Trochu,  at  a  council  held  by  the  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Committee  of  Defence,  announced  that,  as  there 
was  no  hope  for  assistance  from  Chanzy  or  Faidherbe,  it  was 
his  duty  to  surrender  before  the  Germans  destroyed  the  public 
buildings,  and  fired  on  the  centre  of  the  city.  A  quarrel  en¬ 
sued,  when  General  Trochu  offered  his  resignation  ;  which  was 
accepted,  and  Generals  Vinoy,  Frebault,  and  Clement  Thomas 
were  appointed  a  triumvirate  to  replace  Trochu.  Subsequently 
the  council  recoiled  from  the  responsibility,  and  Trochu  was 
sustained. 

CAPTURE  OF  ST.  QUENTIN. 

The  misfortune  of  Paris  was  not  alone  this  day  the  misfortune 
of  France.  Faidherbe  advanced  defiantly  beyond  St.  Quentin, 
where  he  was  met  by  Goeben,  defeated,  and  driven  into  and 
through  the  town  with  great  loss.  A  general  panic  seized  upon 
the  people  at  Cambrai,  while  Faidherbe  retreated  to  the  fortress 
of  Douai,  with  the  loss  of  an  entire  division.  The  entry  of  the 
retreating  army  into  the  city  of  Cambrai  was  a  sad  scene  of 
disorder.  The  troops  were  shoeless  and  in  rags,  and  the  army 
fragmentary  to  a  great  degree.  General  Goeben’ s  losses  at  St. 
Quentin  were  94  officers  and  3000  men. 


PARIS  SURRENDERS,  JAN.  28 


479 


The  Emperor  William  sent  the  following  telegram  : 

To  the  Empress  Augusta  : 

Versailles,  January  20. — -The  number  of  unwounded  prisoners 
captured  at  St.  Quentin  is  9000,  beside  2000  wounded  taken  in  the  town. 
The  total  loss  of  the  French  is  15,000.  The  enemy  has  withdrawn  to  Val¬ 
enciennes  and  Douai.  We  have  again  occupied  Cambrai. 

Fours  Hours  Later. —  The  latest  estimate  of  the  French  loss  at  St. 
Quentin  is  15,000  men,  including  11,000  prisoners. 

William. 

With  the  French  Army  of  the  North  defeated,  with  Bourbaki 
threatened  by  Manteuffel,  with  Chanzy  flying  disorganized  be¬ 
fore  Prince  Charles  and  Mecklenburg,  and  with  Trochu  driven 
into  Paris,  threatened  with  shells  from  without  and  internal 
disorders  from  within,  the  fortunes  of  France  are  unhappy  in¬ 
deed.  It  is  folly  longer  to  fight.  Germany  has  fairly  conquered. 

Sunday,  January  22. — Mob  in  Paris.  Gustave  Flourens 
released  from  prison.  Three  hundred  National  Guards  attack 
the  Hotel  de  Ville,  but  are  repulsed  by  the  Mobiles.  General 
Vinoy  assumes  command  in  place  of  Trochu.  Emperor  Wil¬ 
liam  accepts  in  an  order  the  Imperial  dignity,  and  praises  his 
troops,  charging  them  to  remain  the  strong  arm  of  the  Father- 
land.  Gambetta  at  Lille.  The  Army  of  the  North  totally  de¬ 
moralized.  The  bombardment  of  Longwy  proceeding. 

Tuesday,  Jamtary  24.  —  Paris  concludes  to  surrender. 
Jules  Favre  visits  Bismarck,  and  returns  to  Paris.  The  Bor¬ 
deaux  Government  notified,  and  Gambetta  accepts  the  action 
of  the  Paris  authorities. 


Wednesday,  January  25.  —  The  surrender  agreed  to. 
Longwy  surrenders  with  four  thousand  prisoners  and  two  hun¬ 
dred  guns.  Manteuffel  crowds  Bourbaki  towards  Switzer¬ 
land. 


Saturday,  January  28. — An  armistice  of  three  weeks  on 
land  and  sea  agreed  to. 


4S0 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


FAVRE  AND  BISMARCK. 

To-day,  the  German  pickets  were  overjoyed  at  the  sight  of 
a  flag  of  truce  from  Paris,  and  an  unusual  commotion,  which 
indicated  an  important  communication  from  the  Capitol.  A 
Prussian  Captain  advanced  and  received  the  French  deputation, 
whichwas  headed  by  a  no  less  personage,  than  M.  Jules  Favre, 
the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  who  desired  to  be  conducted  di¬ 
rectly  to  Count  Von  Bismarck’s  rooms  in  Versailles.  The  meet¬ 
ing  between  Favre  and  Bismarck  was  affecting — the  voice  of  the 
former  sometimes  becoming  gruff  with  emotion.  After  a  few 
kind  remarks,  Bismarck,  in  the  tenderest  manner,  remarked : 

“  My  dear  friend,  I  know  the  cause  of  your  visit ;  you  would 
stop  the  farther  shedding  of  blood.” 

Favre  (affected)  —  “  Yes,  yes,  M.  Bismarck  ;  my  object  is  to 
stop  the  terrible  sufferings  of  my  unhappy  countrymen  in  Paris, 
for  all  hope  of  relief  from  without  seems  lost,  and  Paris  must 
needs  seek  peace.” 

Bismarck —  “  We  respect  the  gallantry  of  the  French  nation, 
and  we  pity  her  sufferings.  We  will  do  what  we  can  for  peace, 
consistent  with  the  safety  and  honor  of  Germany.  This,  my 
dear  M.  Favre,  has  been  the  desire  of  the  Emperor  William 
and  his  advisers  since  the  unhappy  war  was  forced  upon  him. 
What  has  Paris  to  offer  ?  ” 

M.  Favre  —  “  If  her  soldiers  were  permitted  to  leave  Paris 
with  the  honors  of  war,  Paris  would  surrender.” 

Bismarck  —  “  It  is  not  my  province  to  refuse  or  accept  your 
terms  ;  but  I  will  say,  that  personally,  I  do  not  approve  them, 
and  I  feel  confident  that  my  august  master  will  reject  them. 
However,  I  will  submit  them  to  his  consideration.” 

Count  Bismarck  now  invited  Favre  to  a  repast,  when  the 
two  spent  an  hour  in  social  conversation.  The  Emperor  firmly 
rejected  Favre’s  proposition,  and  submitted  the  following,  which 
Favre  carried  back  to  the  Provisional  Government  : 

The  forts  to  be  garrisoned  by  Germans. 

The  regulars  and  Gardes  Mobiles  to  be  sent  to  Germany. 

Paris  to  receive  no  garrison  for  its  protection  —  the  city  to  be 
confided  to  the  National  Guards,  who  will  not  be  disarmed. 

As  M.  Favre  rose  to  depart,  the  following  conversation  took 
place  : 

Bismarck  —  “The  surrender,  M.  Favre,  should  be  signed  by 
the  entire  Provisional  Government,  to  make  it  binding  in 
France.” 

Favre  —  “  But  we  cannot  bind  the  republic  at  Bordeaux. 


SATURDAY,  NOVEMBER  ig. 


481 


The  surrender  is  purely  a  military  one,  and  the  republic  may 
reject  every  question  outside  of  the  garrison.” 

Bismarck.  —  “  If  the  Republic  rejects  terms  which  will  give 
peace,  the  Emperor  is  ready  to  accept  them ;  and  then  France 
must  choose  between  acceptance  and  a  restoration  of  the  em¬ 
pire.” 

M.  Favre  spent  the  evening  of  the  24th  in  Paris,  but  returned 
to  Versailles  on  the  evening  of  the  25  th  with  the  signature  of 
the  Paris  officials  to  the  articles  of  surrender.  Bismarck  now 
urged  upon  Favre  the  practicability  of  an  armistice,  that  a  de 
jure  government  might  be  elected  by  the  people,  whose  repre¬ 
sentatives  would  have  power  to  guarantee  the  execution  of  a 
:reaty  of  peace.  Favre  passed  back  to  Paris  again,  returning 
:o  Versailles  on  the  28th,  when  an  armistice  of  twenty-one  days 
vas  agreed  upon.  The  constituent  elections  to  be  held  on  the 
Ith  of  February,  and  the  National  Assembly  to  be  convened 
it  Bordeaux  on  the  15th.  It  was  farther  arranged  that  the 
prisoners  of  war  were  to  remain  in  Paris  during  the  armistice. 

The  National  Guards  and  gendarmes  to  retain  their  arms, 
is  were  also  the  police.  All  Francs-tireurs  to  be  disbanded. 
Herman  prisoners  to  be  exchanged.  The  public  funds  to  re¬ 
main  in  Paris. 

The  names  of  the  French  officers  surrendering,  are  given  in 
all  on  page  418. 

The  Emperor  sent  the  following  telegram  : 

Versailles,  January  29,  2P.  m.,  1870. 

To  the  Empress  Augusta: 

Last  night  an  armistice  for  three  weeks  was  signed.  The  Regulars  and 
tobiles  are  to  be  interned  in  Paris  as  prisoners  of  war.  The  National 
luard  will  undertake  the  maintenance  of  order.  We  occupy  all  the  forts 
'aris  remains  invested,  but  will  be  allowed  to  revictual  as  soon  as  arms  are 
irrendered. 

The  National  Assembly  is  to  be  summoned  to  meet  at  Bordeaux  in  a 
jrtnight.  All  the  armies  in  the  field  will  retain  their  respective  positions, 
re  ground  between  opposing  lines  to  be  neutral. 

This  is  the  reward  of  patriotism,  heroism,  and  great  sacrifices.  Thank 
iod  for  this  fresh  mercy  1  May  peace  soon  follow  ! 

Wilhelm. 

Bordeaux  agreed  to  the  terms  of  this  armistice,  and  decreed 
n  election  on  the  8th  of  February,  for  members  of  the  con- 
tituent  assembly.  The  decree  disqualified  as  candidates  to 
le  Republican  election  all  Imperialists  who  have  been  Imperi- 
l  candidates  for,  or  held  the  offices  of  Minister,  Senator,  or 
Councillor  of  State  under  the  Empire,  and  Prefects  under  Na- 
oleon  III.  To  prevent  the  entire  dissolution  of  the  French 
rmies  during  the  armistice,  Gambetta  issued  the  following 
roclamation :  21 


482 


THE  FRANCO- PR  USSIAN  WAR. 


Frenchmen  :  Prussia  believes  the  armistice  will  dissolve  our  armies, 
and  secure  the  election  of  a  chamber  ready  to  conclude  a  shameful  peace. 
It  depends  on  France  to  upset  these  calculations.  It  is  necessary  to  make 
the  armistice  a  period  for  the  instruction  of  our  young  troops.  Continue 
with  unrelaxed  vigor  the  organization  for  defence,  and  for  war  if  necessary, 
while  you  instal  a  National  Republican  Assembly  willing  to  make  such  a 
peace  only  as  is  compatible  with  the  honor,  rank,  and  integrity  of  France. 

The  surrender  found  Paris  in  a  starving  condition,  and  the 
railroads  being  broken,  the  German  army  was  obliged  to  share 
its  rations  with  the  French  troops.  This  was  magnanimously 
done,  causing  much  good  feeling.  Much  damage  was  done  to 
the  old  part  of  Paris  and  around  the  Luxembourg  by  the  Ger¬ 
man  shells,  but  new  Paris  escaped  particular  damage. 

At  the  signing  of  the  armistice  — 

Faidherbe’s  Army  of  the  North  (the  Twenty-second  and 
Twenty-third  Corps)  was  in  a  demoralized  condition  in  front 
of  Goeben  at  Arras,  Douai,  and  Cambrai. 

Chanzy  stood,  defeated  by  Prince  Charles,  with  the  Army  of 
the  West  at  Laval. 

Bourbaki  (relieved  by  Clinchart)  was  fleeing  into  Switzerland 
before  Manteuffel  with  the  Army  of  the  East,  covered  by  Gen¬ 
eral  Billot. 

Manteuffel  was  about  capturing  six  thousand  prisoners,  which 
work  was  finished  before  news  of  the  armistice  reached  him. 

The  success  of  the  German  armies  is  unprecedented  in  the 
history  of  warfare.  Never  in  the  world’s  history  has  an  army, 
within  six  months,  captured  forces,  the  aggregate  of  which 
almost  equal  the  capturing  army.  The  following  table  gives 
the  fortified  places  captured — time,  and  number  of  French 
prisoners  of  war : 


Weisenburg. . 
Lichtenburg. . 

Herny . 

Vitry . 

Sedan . 

Laon . 

Toul . 

Strasburg. 

Soissons . 

Metz . 

Verdun . 

Neuf  Brisach 
Thionville  . . . 
Pfalzburg .... 
Montmedy. . . . 

Rocroy . 

Peronne . 

Le  Mans  .... 
St.  Quentin. . 

Longwy . 

Paris . 


August  4.. 
August  9. . 
August  12. 
August  19. 
Sept.  1 . . . 
Sept.  10. . 
Sept.  23 . . 
Sept.  27. . 
Oct.  16. . . 
Oct.  27. . . 
Nov.  8. . . . 
Nov.  11 . . . 
Nov.  25 . . . 
Dec.  12 . . . 
Jan.  13  ... 
Jan.  5  .... 
Jan.  10  . . . 
Jan.  11 . . . 
Jan.  19. . . 
Jan.  25... 
Jan.  28.. . 


2.500 
1,000 

100 

500 

110,000 

3,000 

2,240 

11,000 

4,700 

200,000 

4.500 

5,000 

5,000 

2,000 

4,000 

3,000 

3.500 
10,000 

8,000 

4,000 

230,000 


614,040 


PEACE  —  THE  DUAL  GOVERNMENTS. 


4S3 


PEACE ! 

The  election  on  the  8th  of  February  may  provide  a  de  jure 
government,  and  the  world  may  look  for  peace  between  France 
and  Prussia  on  the  following  basis  : 

1.  France  to  cede  Alsace  and  Lorraine  to  Prussia.  Metz 
and  Strasburg  to  become  German  fortfications. 

2.  France  to  pay  Germany  a  war  indemnity,  and  surrender 
twenty  ships  from  her  navy. 

3.  Both  national  armies  to  be  reduced  to  a  peace  footing. 

Tranquillity  came  with  the  surrender,  but  General  Trochu 

feared  far  more  the  hatred  of  the  Parisians  than  the  Germans. 
He  refused  to  become  a  candidate  in  the  Provisional  election, 
and  retired  to  Brittany,  a  disheartened  and  disappointed  man. 
The  hatred  for  Gambetta  was  intense  in  Paris,  and  on  the 
north.  The  people  protested  against  his  decrees,  and  against 
the  idea  of  proscription,  preventing  a  free  election.  Favre 
threatened  to  depose  Gambetta,  and  appoint  M.  Herold  in  his 
place  ;  and  Bismarck  even  interfered,  and  said  the  election 
should  be  free,  and  that  Gambetta’s  decrees  from  Bordeaux, 
disfranchising  the  Imperialists,  must  be  disobeyed.  On  the  5  th, 
the  differences  of  the  dual  governments  became  so  great,  that 
Favre  resigned  his  position  of  Minister  of  the  Interior,  and 
Gambetta,  intent  on  mischief,  called  a  council  of  war  in  Bor¬ 
deaux,  “  to  deliberate  on  the  means  of  profiting  by  the  armistice." 

If  the  Constituent  election  was  not  held  on  the  8th  of  Feb¬ 
ruary,  Gambetta  and  his  hot-headed  party  from  Bordeaux  pre¬ 
vented  it ;  and  all  further  anarchy  or  bloodshed  will  be  on  the 
head  of  this  selfish,  vain,  and  tyrannical  republican  despot. 
Germany  will  be  compelled  to  organize  a  new  Provisional  Gov¬ 
ernment  for  France,  with  the  consent  of  England,  Austria,  and 
Russia. 

If  Napoleon  III.  made  the  war,  Gambetta  continued  it,  and 
even  now  jeopardizes  the  making  of  peace.  The  following  is 
the  list  of  Paris  candidates  for  the  Constituent  Assembly,  all 
true,  but  conservative  men  : 

Jules  Favre,  Isaac  Adolphe  Crfemieux,  Alexandre  Glais-Bizoin, 
Louis  Joseph  Earnest  Picard,  Jules  Simon,  Pierre  Clement, 
Eugene  Pelletan,  Emanuel  Arago,  Louis  Antoine  Garnier- 
Pages,  Jules  Ferry,  Henri  Rochefort,  Admiral  Saisset,  Admiral 
delaRonciere  de  Noury,  Admiral  Pothouan. 

WHAT  MADE  A  NATION’S  DISASTERS. 

And  so  the  end  is  come.  Wonderful  indeed  is  the  sublime 
lesson  taught  by  Divinity  to  the  nations.  The  Coliseum  has 


4S4 


THE  FRANC  O-PR  US  SI  AN  WAR. 


become  the  pigmy,  and  the  scathing  irony  of  Victor  Hugo  has 
become  an  awful  truth.  Voltaire  has  indeed  surrendered  to 
Bismarck,  Versailles  is  but  the  shadow  of  Potsdam,  the  Lor- 
rainer  has  become  a  German,  and  France  —  “  the  soldier  of 
God” — stands  trembling  before  the  sword  of  the  hated  Teuton. 
What  has  caused  this  terrible  change  ?  History  is  full  of  expla¬ 
nation.  Other  nations  have  had  their  rise  and  fall  —  their 
period  of  prosperity ;  and  then  came  the  hectic  flush,  like  the 
Paris  frenzy  for  war  in  July,  which  proved  the  signal  for  the 
entry  of  political  death.  India  taught  the  lesson  of  astrono¬ 
my  and  architecture  to  Egypt  —  and  died ;  Rome,  with  her 
Caesar-palaces,  bowed  to  the  sturdy  Vandals;  and  Napoleon 
the  Great  sharpened  at  Jena  the  Prussian  sword  which  stabbed 
Napoleon  the  Little  at  Sedan.  Imperialism  rotted  the  political 
system  of  France.  Military  glory,  ignorance,  jealous  suspicions, 
and  official  espionage  culminated  in  the  Imperial  declaration  of 
war  against  Prussia.  It  was  the  old  assault  of  slavery  against  our 
Republic  —  and  with  the  same  result.  The  war  declaration 
in  July  was  but  the  blossom  of  Imperial  decay.  For  ten  years 
the  nation  has  been  dying,  and  nothing  but  a  great  national 
calamity  could  follow  her  rotten  political  system.  The  Emperor 
dazzled ;  but  behind  was  a  dark  shadow  —  the  ignorance  and 
superstition  of  forty  millions  of  subjects.  In  eighteen  years 
America  could  applaud  but  one  act  in  the  reign  of  Louis  Napo¬ 
leon,  and  that  act  was  the  liberation  of  Lombardy.  The  Emperor 
astonished  Europe  on  fete  days,  and  covered  over  the  corruption 
and  decadence  and  the  ignorance  of  a  barbarous  peasantry  with 
the  glare  of  luxury.  The  column  of  July  was  gilded  at  the  top  ; 
but  it  looked  down  upon  a  capital  full  of  intriguers,  suspicious, 
and  without  manly  confidence. 

A  nation  cannot  be  great  which  gives  five  hundred  millions 
of  francs  a  year  to  its  army  in  time  of  peace,  and  but  forty 
millions  to  the  education  of  her  children.  A  nation  cannot  be 
great  which  spends  four  hundred  millions  of  francs  in  fine  bar¬ 
racks,  imperial  palaces,  and  grand  opera-houses,  but  which 
looks  in  vain  and  in  shame  for  a  respectable  school-house. 
Greatness  will  never  come  when  the  army  officers  ten  times 
outnumber  the  schoolmasters.  A  nation  cannot  be  great  which 
carries  on  its  shoulders  that  monster  of  decay,  that  vampire 
of  Italy  —  the  temporal  power  of  a  Pope  ;  gives  two  hundred 
millions  of  francs  a  year  to  support  a  Papal  imbecility,  and  re¬ 
fuses  for  years  to  contribute  one  hundred  thousand  francs  to 
Gustave  Lambert  for  an  expedition  in  search  of  the  north-west 


WHAT  KILLED  THE  EMPIRE. 


485 


passage.  Absolute  power  in  one  man  and  in  one  place  — 
Ccesarism  —  will  never  expand  the  national  mind.  The  effects 
of  these  eighteen  years  of  despotism,  of  centralization,  of  luxury 
for  the  capital  and  ignorance  for  the  rural  districts,  have  shown 
themselves  in  blood,  in  shame,  and  in  national  disaster.  Back¬ 
ward  under  the  Empire,  instead  of  forward  to  liberty,  has  been 
going  the  education  of  the  people.  A  nation  must  be  on  the 
confines  of  barbarism  when,  unstartled,  it  sees  the  tax  contribu¬ 
tions  of  her  half-starved  rural  laborers  go  to  pay  for  the  “  pigeon 
wings”  of  M.  Petitpas  and  Mile.  Fiocre  on  the  boards  of  the 
Grand  Opera.  What  hope  is  there  for  a  people  who  pay  sixty 
million  francs  a  year  from  the  state  treasury  to  a  half-naked 
dancer,  and  who  refuse  to  pay  more  than  forty  francs  a  month  to 
their  school-teachers  ?  It  was  a  heathenish  excuse  that  the 
dance-women  brought  strangers  to  Paris  and  enriched  the  people. 
Education  and  sound  morality,  and  not  money,  among  the 
masses,  is  a  nation’s  only  salvation.  What  hope  is  there  for 
morality  when  opera-houses  take  the  place  of  churches,  and 
when  an  Emperor  flaunts  the  soiled  robes  of  a  Marguerite  Bel¬ 
anger  in  the  face  of  the  reigning  Empress?  Not  the  one-man 
education,  but  a  broad  and  universal  education  will  save  a  na¬ 
tion  in  her  direst  need.  The  Rousseaus,  Pascals,  Keplers,  and 
Humboldts  cannot  save  a  people,  but  the  great  swaying  masses 
must  kneel  at  the  fountain  of  wisdom  and  letters.  First  knowl¬ 
edge,  then  the  Republic,  and  then  greatness  ;  not  first  the 
Empire,  then  wealth,  then  ignorance,  and  then  littleness ! 

Paris  deceived  the  world.  Her  brilliancy,  her  splendid  rail¬ 
ways,  and  her  dazzling  soldiers  were  only  masks  covering  an 
ignorant,  superstitious,  and  priest-ridden  peasantry.  Such  a 
people  were  incapable  of  great  deeds.  It  was  natural  that  the 
frugal,  Protestant,  educated  Prussian  should  overrun  her  fron¬ 
tiers  sooner  or  later,  and  teach  France,  by  a  visitation  of  fire 
and  sword,  the  sources  of  her  sickness  and  the  remedy  for  her 
cure. 

The  Empire  with  its  spy  system  made  one  man  suspicious  of 
another.  This  suspicious  lack  of  confidence  among  citizens 
became  a  great  social  evil.  Great  deeds  were  betrayed,  and 
affairs  of  state  became  intrigues  of  men.  One  half  of  France 
were  watching  the  other  half,  and  everywhere  were  a  double  set 
of  sentries  —  one  watching  the  other.  M.  de  Persigny  cautioned 
the  Emperor  in  a  letter  against  their  mutual  friend,  the  Prefect 
of  Police.  A  whole  nation  became  addicted  to  espionage  — 
every  man  a  natural  policeman,  stealing  with  the  right  hand  and 


486 


THE  FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


guarding  with  the  left,  and  the  people  became  two  armies  of 
parasites  —  the  watchers  and  the  watched. 

The  Empire  died  at  Sedan ;  and  then  came  the  men  of  Sep¬ 
tember  4th.  The  seeds  of  the  Republic  were  faulty,  and  they 
fell  on  barren  soil,  worn  out  by  imperial  vegetation.  It  was 
the  same  old  government  with  a  plurality  of  rulers  —  Favre, 
Trochu,  Gambetta,  and  Hugo,  all  pulling,  but  different  ways. 
Each  man  became  a  Republican  emperor,  with  the  same  love 
of  decrees  inherited  from  the  Emperor.  Every  man  who  held 
a  bit  of  power,  from  the  Governor  down  to  the  lowest  mayor 
or  sub-prefect,  must  put  into  operation  the  abstract  ideas  he 
had  been  preaching  in  secret  conclave  to  his  disciples  for  the 
last  twenty  years ;  but  fortunately  for  the  state,  they  died  as 
soon  as  launched.  Arbitrary  arrests  continued,  the  people  still 
belonged  to  the  office-holders,  and  opinions  were  opposed  by 
force  and  secret  intrigues  rather  than  by  the  ballot  and  free 
discussion.  Men  vote  in  a  Republic,  but  do  not  decree  ;  and 
when  five  or  ten  Republican  emperors,  like  Gambetta  and 
Trochu,  decree  themselves  de  facto  rulers,  refusing  to  go  before 
the  people  in  an  election,  they  become  despots.  Gambetta 
could  not  trust  the  people  ;  for  the  Empire  had  perverted  hu¬ 
manity,  and  it  must  be  born  again  before  it  could  vote  in  a 
spirit  of  liberty.  After  the  fall  of  Paris,  Bismarck  sent  the  de¬ 
feated  people  to  their  ballot-boxes,  and  France  did  the  first 
republican  act  since  the  coup  d'etat  of  Napoleon  III.  Months 
must  elapse  before  we  shall  know  the  result.  We  do  not  de¬ 
spair  of  the  Republic,  for  the  war  has  been  a  blessing  in  disguise, 
pricking  a  visionary  bauble,  and  placing  a  great  nation  in  her 
true  position,  humbled,  but  in  her  right  mind.  By  and  by  she 
may  become  a  Republic.  Republicans  are  born,  not  made ; 
and  only  with  thirty  years  of  trial,  and  with  a  generation  of 
born  Republicans,  can  France  be  free  from  Imperial  snares. 
America  has  passed  through  that  dead  sea  of  Imperialism ;  and 
every  citizen,  watched  over  by  Republican  parents  and  schooled 
in  Republican  schools,  finds  in  himself  that  undying,  unchang¬ 
ing  Republican  principle  and  thought,  —  that  thought  goes 
out  in  benedictions  to  struggling  humanity  —  to  Ireland, 
to  France,  to  Hungary,  and  Poland,  and  beckons  even  among 
the  thrones  of  depotism,  saying,  in  a  sweet  voice,  “  Come  to 
us !  ” 


THE  END. 


/•; 


DllL-A  I  _ u.  .  .. 


D00444893W 


